Trump landmark Davos speech “unleashes hell” on vampire squid, crony, self serving globalists

Trump — speaking Truth to power. Creating 2.4million jobs. The networking parasites will hate it.

The full text of his speech at Davos.

UPDATE: Worth watching. He is quite the statesman. He could have used the economic success to laud himself, to scorn those who mocked him, but instead he is saying — This is what we’re doing. It’s working brilliantly. You can do it too. He’s talking about how tax cuts and lower regulation have created a flood of investment to the US.  In the audience are a group of people who may well mock him, but they are quietly thinking, “how do we catch up”. Trump has created a race, and all the investment that flows into the US is coming from all the nations sitting in the audience.

h/t Martin Clarke

James Delingpole marks the Trump appearance as historic, inspirational:

Apocalypse Trump Is Unleashed on Davos

We knew something apocalyptic was coming in Davos today. Those tactically released photographs of President Trump arriving by helicopter with his entourage were the giveaway: the silhouetted choppers strung out in extended line in the orange-yellow light above the mountains.

Why, if you’d listened carefully, you might almost have heard the strains of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyrie…

The enemy on this occasion, of course, was Davos Man. Or – if you prefer – the globalist elite which has spent the last several decades stitching up the world in its own interests: the Vampire-Squid-trained central banksters; the EU technocrats; the corporatist crony capitalists; the rent-seeking sustainability experts; the priggish, politically correct, sermonising NGOs; the controlling one world government freaks; the woke Hollywood groupies; George Soros; pretty much all the reasons that made us vote for Donald Trump or Brexit, all gathered in one very expensive Swiss ski resort.

 Trump’s speech in Davos today establishes him as – by some margin – the most significant and inspirational and ideologically robust leader of the free world since the era of Ronald Reagan.

Trump’s vision is not – as his enemies mischaracterise it – one of insularity and narrow self interest. It’s about Making America Great Again in order to help the world follow by example and become great too.

Like all nations represented at this great forum, America hopes for a future which everyone can prosper and every child can grow up free from violence, poverty, and fear. Over the past year, we have made extraordinary strides in the U.S. We’re lifting up forgotten communities, creating exciting new opportunities, and helping every American find their path to the American dream. The dream of a great job, a safe home and a better life for their children.

Trump is restating here truths which ought to be obvious…

Remember how Trump is an idiot and will achieve nothing, a disaster in the making:

  1. I mean, he’s so blatantly stupid. He’s a punk, he’s a dog, he’s a pig, he’s a con, he’s a bullshit artist, he’s a mutt who doesn’t know what he is talking about, doesn’t do his homework, doesn’t care. Robert De Niro.
  2. “If he becomes president, it will be a disaster.” Former Danish foreign minister Martin Lidegaard.
  3. “A person who thinks only about building walls — wherever they may be — and not building bridges, is not Christian.” Pope Francis. [Bridges good: Walls bad, says a man who lives in a 40ft high walled enclave. – Jo]
  4. This nation [the U.S.] is going to fail if it goes into the hands of a crazy guy.” Former Mexican president Vicente Fox.
  5. “Mr Trump is so stupid, my God!” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo

Donald Trump:

Since my election we’ve created 2.4 million jobs….  We lowered our corporate tax rate from 35 percent all the way down to 21 percent. As a result, millions of workers have received tax cut bonuses from their employers in amounts as large as $3,000. The tax cut bill is expected to raise the average American’s household income by more than $4,000. The world’s largest company, Apple, announced it plans to bring $245 billion in overseas profits home to America. Their total investment into the United States economy will be more than $350 billion over the next five years. Now is the perfect time to bring your business, your jobs, and your investments to the United States.

He is winding back the clock on the growth of big-gov, and the self-serving green blob after decades of non-stop growth. Here’s hoping the message will spread.

UPDATE: Thus did the crony climatista capitalists speak

The Sydney Morning Herald advertises the money-pile of green blob

Businesses should seize a $US6 trillion ($7.45 trillion) opportunity to invest in tackling climate change over the next two decades, the head of an Indian multinational said at Davos on Thursday.

“Climate change is the next century’s biggest financial and business opportunity,” Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, a $US19 billion conglomerate, told the World Economic Forum (WEF), an annual meeting of global business and political leaders held in the Swiss Alps resort of Davos.

Mahindra likened the transformation to when cars were first introduced and the industry that developed around them. Climate change will also bring new appliances, technologies and retrofitting of old ones, he said.

– h/t -Dave B

9 out of 10 based on 127 ratings

334 comments to Trump landmark Davos speech “unleashes hell” on vampire squid, crony, self serving globalists

  • #
    Just Thinkin'

    Can you hear that noise?

    You should be able to.

    It’s all the lefties and greenies (is there a difference) EXPLODING.

    Just LOVE that sound.

    421

    • #
      yonniestone

      I love smell of trade deals in the morning, it smells like….. currency.

      130

    • #
      OriginalSteve

      Yup….Climate Change wall meets sledgehammer weilding Trump….

      110

    • #
      ivan

      Watermelons going pop – a truly lovely sound.

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      • #

        Young infant grinning at finally getting changed; then a slight frown, peeing straight up, going poop; then another grinn – a truly lovely sound.
        All the best!-will-

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        • #

          Young infant’s whole world is sweet smelling mommas tit, getting changed; peeing straight up, going poop; then another grinn exchanging with mommy of what I have accomplished. 🙂

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    • #
      Geoff

      The main stream media have distorted and lied to us to gain power.

      I mean, journalists are so blatantly stupid. They are punks, dogs, pigs, con men and women, bullshit artists, mutts who don’t know what they are talking about, don’t do their homework, don’t care.

      And worse, they cannot read what they write.

      For the few that do not fit this bill I say do NOT associate yourselves with this failed profession. For those who “do not care” we will remember what you have written.

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      • #
        Rereke Whakaaro

        Geoff,

        Please do not malign mongrel dogs, pigs, con-men and women, and bullshit artistes, by aligning them with journalists.

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      • #
        Graeme#4

        Maybe Geoff, but recently I’ve noticed a distinct change in articles in The Australian. Hardly a day goes by now without at least one article about either energy or climate, and these articles are starting to hit the mark. So I believe, or perhaps I’m being overly optimistic, that the message is finally getting through to many of the better journalists. I think it’s important that we support these journalists and praise them when they do generate incisive, intelligent articles that bail these important issues. It’s also worth noting that the overwhelming majority of comments support the stances taken by commenters on this forum. So let’s give praise where praise is due and keep focusing on the messages. As I believe that it’s finally making a difference.

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        • #
          Geoff

          Just joined the actors union for the day. A rant from sources. Investigative journos are no longer on the MSM payroll. The rivers of advertising gold are gone. So we must get a longer version of twitter or actors with mummy and daddy problems because they have not had their twit hit today. Don’t mind a well written argument from either side of the story.

          Not sure we are winning yet. Believe it when Malcolm stops throwing the crockery around the room and cancels the RET.

          We have only two choices, VERY bad (LNP) or OBLIVION (ALP).

          50

        • #
          What Class?

          The Oz, as long as I have been reading it, has presented as many sides to any debate as is possible. This probably accounts for its high circulation – despite the paywall. I’d rather pay for information if it was presented fairly. In my opinion, from comments, its readership is mostly right of centre or reasonably sane. There are others.
          ‘Hardly a day goes by now without at least one article about either energy or climate’ That would be putting it mildly – from either side. You are being optimistic. The Australian is working through the debate and the results are pretty clear. Unfortunately, most Australians don’t read The Australian. They’d rather drink beer and/or play with their ski boats.
          There are many ‘journalists’ who would not work for Rupert because they are uncomfortable with an environment that challenges their beliefs. There are stalwarts, such as PvO and Richo, who continue in the face of reality. More power to them. Let them speak, and let us criticize them as we see fit.
          You are just noticing that truth is winning on the pages of The Australian. The Hun and The Telegraph (both Murdoch organs) work in pretty much the same way. They still don’t have the reach of the taxpayer-funded Auntie propaganda machine. Turn on your telly and go to the free-to-air channels. You’ll find more ABC/SBS channels than all the others conbined, and they’re all pumping out emotional anti-Australian leftist propaganda. Hard to beat.

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          • #
            What Class?

            I’d rather drink whiskey and play with other peoples’ ski boats – when they’re not looking.

            20

            • #

              I’d rather drink whiskey and play with other peoples’ ski boats – when they’re not looking.

              Especially if she has long legs that go all the way up to heaven! 🙂

              00

          • #
            ian hilliar

            The ones I know who play with their ski boats are all tradies, and listen to talkback radio. they have no time at all for the crap on ABC, and agree with your sentiments;, The lardasses in the public service couldn’t drive a ski boat, let alone ski or keep the motor tuned. And they would never dare to question the status quo.

            00

        • #
          Harry Twinotter

          Graeme#4.

          Actually what is the case is The Australia is one of the few papers still willing to push the climate change denial hoax.

          Other journos have more integrity, and have decided that reporting factually-incorrect information is not good for their careers.

          So it is a win for truth. The amount of the public who don’t accept AGW is declining year by year.

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          • #
            Rereke Whakaaro

            In your dreams, Harry.

            Murdock is an astute operator, who is unlikely to do things that will damage his publishing empire.

            Other papers are owned by corporations who have fingers in the climate change industry, and so derive income from those sources. Of course, they would like the myth of “Climate Change (TM)” to run on, for as long as possible, in order to maximize their return on investment. What the journos think, is immaterial in such a world. They are just filling the column inches with the editorial meme of the week.

            Follow the money, Harry. Always follow the money.

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          • #
            ian hilliar

            So, Harry two otters-, you deny the climate changes? How bizzare….

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      • #

        The main stream media have distorted and lied to us to gain power.

        Indeed! Carefully consider, plan, then burn them and the bankster backers. Take no prisoners!!

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  • #
    John F. Hultquist

    a $US6 trillion ($7.45 trillion) opportunity to invest in tackling climate change over the next two decades, …

    #1: Where does $US6 trillion come from? These folks, like atoms, make up everything.

    #2: Replace the word “invest” with the word waste, and get close to the truth.

    #3: Trump appears to be the only sane leader of a modern nation.

    #4: The rest of these ‘leaders’ have formed a cult. The deprogramming will be messy.

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    • #
      Sean

      Exactly, he’s the kid (or outsider) that said the emporer (global governing elite) has no clothes.

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    • #
      Rereke Whakaaro

      … deprogramming will be messy

      Not just messy. It will be traumatic. We can expect some serious unintended consequences.

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    • #
      Mall

      Socialism works until you run out of other people’s money. In this case tax payers. Then you borrow until you trash the economy. This will bring in either communism or a dictatorship.
      In Australias case probably taken over by a foreign power.

      70

    • #
      Mickey Reno

      If Mahindra is so damn smart about the opportunities created by climate change, he needs to start competing with Elon Musk, not Caterpillar and John Deere. Does he think he can make an all-electric, battery powered Tractor with a solar recharge station? Does he think poor Indian and African farmers need such BS more than they need a cheap, reliable diesel tractor? Maybe he can build new factories in South Australia to employ the workers made unemployed by renewable power there?

      Do you suppose he’ll risk his own money and reputation on such crap, or is he just blowing smoke out of his ass, knowing full well that he’ll keep making cheap steel and good diesel vehicles using the cheapest power he can buy to run his factories?

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    • #
      sophocles

      Where does $US6 trillion come from?

      That’s where the inflation comes from. These `economic fora’ are where the inflation rate(s) through `monetary growth’ for the following years is set. So it can be soaked up by these … parasites.

      Replace the word “invest” with the word waste, and get close to the truth.

      We are the ones encouraged to ‘invest,’ they are the ones who harvest. Who loses? We do. That’s why in 2008, the American Banks had “to be saved” so their owners, the European Banks owned by the Davos denizens didn’t lose.

      That’s why all government owned services have to be `privatised’ so they can be purchased at bargain basement prices when the inflation breaks the government and bankrupts the country. It’s not for “competition” at all—that’s just a plausible excuse. It’s to enable the easy sweeping up. Vacuuming. It’s why electricity prices are so high: the `hoover’ is set to `max.’

      (see HUDSON, Michael: “Killing the Host, How Financial Parasites and Debt Destroy the Global Economy,” 2015, ISLET-Verlag ISBN 13: 978-3-9814842-8-1)

      Make no mistake, Davos is the meeting of the Global Financial Parasites to plan the new year’s Debt and Destruction, to determine who gets how much of what.

      Trump appears to be the only sane leader of a modern nation.

      As the American Federal Reserve is owned and run by the parasites, he’s limited in what he can do. Taking the Fed back into government ownership and control, in other words Nationalizing it would be a big step towards dealing a death blow …

      The rest of these ‘leaders’ have formed a cult.

      The rest of the leaders are “are owned” and they know it. They can’t break away. Watch.

      00

  • #
    Phillip Bratby

    If only we in the UK could swap Teresa (the Appeaser) May for a Trump clone. As a minimum we need another Maggie.

    James Delingpole really tells it like it is. A must read.

    Strangely the BBC is trying to write Trump’s speech from history (not a single mention on their website this morning).

    543

    • #
      Andrew

      As you say, I don’t need to listen to the speech to know he nailed it bigly. The test is whether the leftist meeja reports or hides it. And that works in any country.

      His first ever O/S visit was to Riyadh. He gave one of the great speeches in history. If Illary had given it, there would certainly have been a Nobel Peace Prize. And the Silly Moaning Herald instantly dropped it.

      380

      • #
        Rereke Whakaaro

        By such means, does the dead tree media loose all semblance of utility, other than the provision of fish and chips wrappings.

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      • #
        ian hilliar

        Still waiting for the ABC and SBS to report on Bob Brown’s Green Oration……………………………still waiting.

        00

      • #
        Murray Shaw

        Andrew, he nailed it in his Warsaw sojourn as well. Yes, all those that burst forth with the derogatory commentary must now be squirming at each reminder of their ill-judgement.
        Gotta luv it. Keep those reminders coming Jo!

        10

    • #
      Leo Morgan

      BBC = Britain’s Bureau of Censorship.

      50

  • #
    Dennis

    Donald Trump:

    Business man, not the modern politician.

    240

    • #
      yonniestone

      Trump knew from COP21 (probably long before) exactly who he was dealing with, from a business viewpoint he went there to network potential trade partners and let the globalist elites embarrass themselves trying to talk businesses with an actual businessman.

      Securing investment in America while making its enemies expose their shallowness is a great double whammy.

      310

      • #
        Ted O’Brien.

        Watch your Whammies there. Fleagle delivered them with an Evil Eye remember?

        Reminiscing Al Capp. The wonderful Bill Leak of an earlier time. What would he have made of today?

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        • #
          Yonniestone

          Which Fleagle?, searching comes up with the Fleagle gang, John Fleagle (musician) or an Urban Dictionary word I wouldn’t attempt to describe.

          Trump kick starting the USA economy will have a positive flow on effect for Australia every business here that successfully deals with the US will show the public how glaringly anti-business Australian government policies are towards the capitalist system that once made us the envy of the world, this I hope filters through to whom political parties choose as leaders that serve and the public getting a clue on electing one.

          The experiment of allowing, through apathy, autocratic rulers that serve only their greed for increasing undeserving payment is over, if the public still don’t wake up show them the 100 plus failed examples of these leftist systems and ask which one worked the best.

          30

          • #
            ATheoK

            You are searching the wrong list of terms.

            As Ted O’Brien mentions, Al Capp is who you search for.

            Evil Eye Fleagle was just one of Al Capp’s drawn comic characters.

            What Ted O’Brien is likely referencing is the movie made around some of Al Capp’s favorite topics; e.g. Sadie Hawkins day.

            That movie title, “Li’l Abner”, made in 1959 is a classic if pathetic big screen version of Al Capp’s genius.

            To answer Ted’s question: Al Capp might’ve retired early from the sheer over abundance of modern grist for Al’s grinder.

            Remember, Al Capp was drawing intertwined multi-faceted comic strips from the public fodder already available.
            Lil Abner,
            Fearless Fosdick,
            Lower Slobbovia,
            Shmoos.

            Al Capp is one of my favorites, right after Walt Kelly

            40

    • #
      King Geo

      Spot on Dennis. Trump is a businessman not a career politician. He knows how to run a country and get results. He has the runs on the board. Booming economy, significant jobs growth etc etc. All Obama did was increase US debt to ~US$20trillion, sow the seeds for the destruction of manufacturing industries, give US$billions to the UN and worst be a signatory to the Paris Agreement thus putting a wrecking ball though the US Economy. Thank god for America that Donald Trump won the 2016 US Election. Only problem here in Oz is we don’t have a Donald Trump – in fact we have an economic death wish and you just have to look at the Weatherill SA ALP State Govt to see that – and worse he is likely to be re-elected because SA voters it seems are living in a bubble – “Neverland” – destined to be the “hand out state of Australia” for an eternity because they have decimated their manufacturing industries via total dependence on “super expensive & unreliable wind power” and with dead set certainty resulting in no real jobs.

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      • #
        Ted O’Brien.

        Not just a businessman, either. He is a successful entrepreneurial businessman.

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      • #
        Graham Richards

        Oh well, they’ll have plenty of power when all industry moves out. When the good people can’t afford power any longer they won’t use it. So SA will win & they’ll have plenty. Can’t sell it to other states because it’s too expensive. Problem! Will the Federal Government then subsidise further or sihut down the eneconomical farce?

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    • #
      el gordo

      Donald is a charismatic leader, outside the Establishment of Kennedys, Clintons and Bush, yet essentially just an ordinary man.

      I’m happy that he is making America great again, but its of no help to me.

      151

      • #
        Graeme#4

        I believe that he presents a role model of sorts for the type of person that we want to lead Australia. Ok, not the tweeter side of him, but I would be very happy if we could find somebody similar here to lead our country.

        50

      • #
        Rereke Whakaaro

        Trump is shaking the tree. The dead wood falls out, and lets in more light. Thus, the tree can grow upwards, rather than outwards.

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  • #
    Dennis

    Donald Trump will meet Julie Bishop from Australia, and realise quickly that she is a super lightweight ignoramus in the world of business.

    But keen to become a UN Gravy Train passenger.

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    • #
      Peter C

      Hopefully President Donald Trump never meets Julie Bishop from Australia!

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    • #
      Hasbeen

      Would that be the same Julie Bishop who was on the news tonight advising Trump to join the Trans Pacific Partnership? That would be the same one that we have just joined which will lock us into the Parris Agreement, like it or not.

      About our only chance for our grand kids is for Trump to collapse the whole rotten mess world wide, as he drains the US swamp.

      560

      • #
        Leo Morgan

        It is wrong of us to rely on just one man, however impressive his achievements to date.
        Remember, they got Abbott, and they are gunning insanely at Trump. We need to make ourselves a movement not followers.
        One thing we can do that would have great effect is to inform the anti-Trump ‘conservatives’ in the USA of what happened in Australia when their counterparts dumped Abbott.

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        • #
          Graham Richards

          With full respect & admiration of Tony Abbott,he’s not a Trump!

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          • #
            Leo Morgan

            The similarities are strong, particularly in the fact they share the same enemies.
            Many of the differences are in Tony’s favour. But my point was contained in the first sentence; we need a movement, not just rare individuals. Those self-same enemies are frothing at the mouth to destroy Trump’s government, just as they did Abbott’s.

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            • #
              Rereke Whakaaro

              People are defined by the enemies they make. Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt.

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              • #

                People are defined by the enemies they make. Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt.

                Best to avoid ‘the enemy’, then get ‘others’ to rapidly dispatch ‘enemies’ to else when\where! 🙂

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      • #
        Rereke Whakaaro

        An Agreement, once entered by the stroke of a pen, can be exited, also by the stroke of a pen.

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      • #
        Selina

        ” Would that be the same Julie Bishop who was on the news tonight advising Trump to join the Trans Pacific Partnership? That would be the same one that we have just joined which will lock us into the Parris Agreement, like it or not.”….

        It does not make a hoot of difference..Bishop and Turnball siagned us up fully to the UN! She has pledged Trillions of our taxes to the UN,

        All the sustainable policies are direct from the UN, the school curriculum is direct from the UN, the whole Infrustructure upgrades to wide rail networks, satellite smart cities, EVERY policy we have are UN One world Govt Policies, research agenda 21 to start off.

        We have been fully sold out and no body seems to realise here in Australia, they think these are local policies but they are the same ones being implemented world wide by every signature country to the UN!!

        The NGOs our local councils cant live without consulting these days are advising them how to implement the UN policies Locally! Europe is in an uproar but the media never shows it.

        We MUST get out of the UN or our future is one of enslavement.

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    • #
      Rod Stuart

      DJT might well rather enjoy the company of Jenny Tailia from Australia to Ms Bishop. I know I would.

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    • #
      toorightmate

      What if Trump was to meet Malcolm Turnbull, Julie Bishop and Sarah Sea Patrol all at the same time?
      He would start to think his own swamp draining exercise was pretty simple.

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  • #
    Phillip Bratby

    5. “Mr Trump is so stupid, my God!” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

    That is the same mayor who is quoted on the BBC this morning with this:
    “Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said the city was coping – but said that the flooding, coupled with recent summer heatwaves, was “clearly a question of the town adapting to climate change”.”

    That despite the fact that the recent December-January period is the third-wettest on record, according to France’s national weather service. And it is not a as bad as the 1910 floods, which submerged the city for two months.

    Mayor Anne Hidalgo is obviously the stupid one.

    452

  • #
    • #
      Greg in NZ

      One, two, three metres more, Davos Davos, what’s that roar? Apocalyptic avalanche, knockin’ at your door.

      As was Copenhagen, as was Cancun, so shall be Switzerland – cold. Or as we call it, weather. As for the other Valkyrie, the high dome in Antarctica, it was a balmy minus 29˚C today while NZ’s mad-cap muddle-media go hootenanny picnic-loopy over our long-awaited, and finally-returned, long hot summer – like they used to be.

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/100951131/hottest-ever-recorded-temperature-in-wanaka

      With doofuses like these – summer intern uni enviro-journalists? – texting stories for fluff-publications like this (above), who needs enemies? “It was so hot in Wanaka on Saturday that it surpassed the highest temperatures ever recorded in Ireland and a few other nations. That’s because it was the hottest ever recorded day in the picturesque western Otago holiday destination since records began in 1972. On Saturday at 4.15 pm the MetService measured a temperature of 35.2C at Wanaka Airport – beating Ireland’s highest temperature of 33.3C at Kilkenny Castle, on 26 June 1887.”

      What the ? New Zealand is hotter than Ireland? Could be why some of my ancestors jumped ship and got the yeehaah outta there! No wait, hang on, Ireland’s hottest day was back in 1887? Watt up? And (O)wanaka’s “records began in 1972.” Crazy old, like, ancient, so long ago… the depth and breadth of history. But wait –

      “Wanaka’s record doesn’t even get close to making the top ten highest ever recorded temperatures in New Zealand. Rangiora [South Island east coast] registered 42.4 degrees Celsius on February 7, 1973, still the hottest temperature ever recorded in the country.”

      Hooray for summer!

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      • #
        sophocles

        For the reporter to compare Wanaka’s temps with those of Ireland shows how geographically ignorant the reporter is. Of course Wanaka is likely to reach temperatures higher than any recorded in Ireland.

        Wanaka’s lattitude is 44.67 ° South. Ireland starts at about 51.5° North and increases. Of course Wanaka is going to be warmer than Ireland. It’s at about the same lattitude as Monaco, south coast of France on the Mediterranean. It can get pretty warm in Southern France/Northern Spain, too.

        To quote an amusing English girl, it’s a “a couple of hours closer to the sun” so yes, NZ can be easily hotter than Ireland. Lattitude will always tell.

        Now that stupid reporter could have checked that for her/him-self but didn’t. But then the NZ press pays peanuts so they get monkeys for staff…

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  • #

    ABC24 broadcast the speech in full as part of their late news last night and we watched it in full.

    Okay, so it was written for him and he read it from the twin screens, but it was just amazing to watch.

    He has this way of speaking, the tone and inflections when they are required to make the point.

    It was almost gobsmacking to hear it, not just the content, but the way it was delivered.

    My good lady wife mentioned that, like me, she had heard some of the usual, you know the stuff from Planet America and other ABC sources that the President was supposedly mentally ill. If he had even the slightest problem in any respect, there is no way he could have delivered THAT speech in the manner that he did.

    I would say that his detractors should begin quaking in their boots.

    No wonder they are so set on attempting to destroy him.

    Tony.

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    • #
      Rod Stuart

      You probably need to take this with a grain of salt, Tony, but if it is even half close to reality you can see why they aspire for his destruction.

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      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Having a conversation with a cab driver who seemed decent and intelligent – he said most people in Australia are chomping at the bit to give all green-supporting parties ( liberal, labor and greens especially ) a sledgehammer to the knuckles at the coming elections…..

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    • #
      Peter C

      Thanks Tony,

      Because of your comment I watched the whole of Donald Trump’s speech plus his comments to questions afterwards.

      I think he is changing America and he might change the world.

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      • #

        Thanks – I watched the speech and the questions that followed as suggested. Update added to the post.

        UPDATE:
        Worth watching. He is quite the statesman. He could have used the economic success to lord himself, to scorn those who mocked him, but instead he is saying — This is what we’re doing. It’s working briliantly. You can do it too. He’s talking about how tax cuts and lower regulation have created a flood of investment to the US. In the audience are a group of people who may well mock him, but they are quietly thinking, “how do we catch up”. Trump has created a race, and all the investment that flows into the US is coming from all the nations sitting in the audience.

        —-
        He really did rise above and any suggestion that he is not mentally all there seems frivolous.

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        • #
          Andrew McRae

          He could have used the economic success to lord himself, to scorn those who mocked him, but instead he …

          …did exactly both of those things.

          He lauded himself by going on and on about the stock market highs and unemployment drops since he became president. Later when asked about the tax reforms, he bragged about how many new friends he had made at dinner, as though that was relevant.
          He scorned his critics by repeating the “fake news media” lie again, which his own Fake News Awards ceremony was unable to substantiate in 10 of 11 cases. This then led to one of the few times in WEF (or any other high level meeting) where a POTUS has been booed on live TV.

          A statesman who’s mentally all-there? He initially says he won’t try to introduce all of his team because he’d insult some by not being able to name them all, then given the chance he introduces only half of his team and forgets the name of his Secretary of Defense, ex-General Mattis! Not very statesman-like. Sad!

          I do not understand this frequent behaviour where people who support Trump’s economic and social agenda feel compelled to go much further and lie about his gaffes, outright fibs, and international unpopularity. It’s as though you are still living in 2016 and if you don’t sing enough unfettered praise about Trump then maybe Clinton will win the presidency. Trump is already the president and is deserving of at least as much criticism as any POTUS has been.
          Trump would want you to call a spade a spade! 🙂

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            Leo Morgan

            With respect, you’re mistaken.

            You claim “He scorned his critics by repeating the “fake news media” lie again, which his own Fake News Awards ceremony was unable to substantiate in 10 of 11 cases.

            Those claims are completely substantiated.
            Here’s the list: https://gop.com/the-highly-anticipated-2017-fake-news-awards/
            Each of those things happened.

            The rebuttal consists of two main ideas: “They were mistakes that were quickly corrected” and “They were opinion”
            That rebuttal actually confesses to the whole “Fake News” narrative.
            Where are the similar errors in Trump’s favour, or the retracted opinion pieces in his favour? They don’t exist.
            All the items listed are the result of pervasive anti-Trump bias. Reporters recklessly rushed into print with absurd accusations because they believed them, and were so biased against Trump they didn’t sensibly fact-check.

            The media has been churning out fake anti-Trump news, constantly. I expect that any day soon I will see him accused of lying for saying “Good Morning” when “it’s clearly overcast”.

            There was a single case in the “Fake News” list where Trump reported the effect of a propaganda piece rather than the exact wording of the fake news.
            Being neither insanely literal nor literally insane like so many in the anti-Trump echo chamber, while I’d have preferred him to have it exactly right rather than just effectively right, I’m perfectly happy to have it included. It belongs in the list of the media’s insanely anti-Trump reporting.
            The case I’m talking about was the NYT report of Climate Scientists reporting they feared Trump would suppress a climate report.
            That was definitely anti-Trump reporting, and the fact that it was their fear that was wrong rather than the report is not sufficient exculpation to get it off the list.

            As for the opinions, it’s perfectly proper for him to ridicule opinion pieces that were actually published that were so badly wrong. After all, I still ridicule Krugman’s other opinion piece that US Veterans Affairs Hospitals are the exemplar of how hospitals should be managed. He published it right before the scandals broke out, but more to the point he was ridiculously wrong in both those published opinion pieces.

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              Andrew McRae

              Claiming they are substantiated and giving no substantiation just wastes everybody’s time.

              That rebuttal actually confesses to the whole “Fake News” narrative.

              You can prove any statement you like if you redefine words.

              All the items listed are the result of pervasive anti-Trump bias.

              Yes they are, and that does not meet the definition of a “fake news media”.
              His claim is that deliberately false information is spread by media organisations under the banner of news in such a way as to give the public a false impression of events. That is the plain English meaning of fake news media.
              While there are examples of this happening, it is highly ironic that almost none of the cases cited by Trump himself qualify. An article which gets corrected, and in some cases gets the journalist demoted, cannot credibly be part of any attempt to sustain a false impression in the mind of the public.

              If we judge the intended meaning of fake news media by what Trump nominated as examples, it doesn’t seem to mean anything more than journalists making Trump uncomfortable. In that case why not call a spade a spade instead of lying about the existence of a fake news media.

              The ABC has generated a few fake news headlines over the last year, but how often does that have to happen before the ABC qualifies as a fake news organisation? And how many companies have to do this before there is a “fake news media”? These are both undefined thresholds.
              Until both a coherent precise definition and sufficient examples are found, the FNM is Trump’s Yeti.

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                Leo Morgan

                Wait, what?
                I didn’t pick up on your phrase “Fake News MEDIA” before, just reading it as “Fake News”. Sorry about that. Yet I’ve never heard anybody except you use that term. Certainly not Trump, nor anybody else.
                You make much of the final word in your phrase; can you provide an example where Trump actually used it? If it’s just you using the term, then a lot of the issues you raise are answered by that fact.

                You critique the fact I didn’t link to the ‘substantiation’ of his claims. Guilty as charged. I did mentally berate myself for posting the comment without including the ‘rebuttal’ link that actually acknowledged the accuracy of the claims. Still, I didn’t go so far as to create a second comment just for that. My thinking was that anybody who commented on the issue would already know it, and those who didn’t could Google it in ten seconds. Since you were unable to do that, here’s the New York Times response. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/business/media/fake-news-awards.html As you can see it is partisan, defensive and derisory. You also see it substantiates every claim made by Trump.

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              Andrew McRae

              Leo,
              I see from your later reply you have no idea about the topic.

              I didn’t pick up on your phrase “Fake News MEDIA” before […] Yet I’ve never heard anybody except you use that term. Certainly not Trump, nor anybody else.

              So you’ve certainly never seen one of Trump’s most famous tweets, you’ve certainly never seen the Trump tweet announcing the definition of the very awards you’re attempting to discuss, and you certainly don’t know what Trump has actually said, but you’re certainly going to hold an indefensible opinion about what Trump has said.
              Here ya go laddy, get these tweets into ya.

              FNM enemy tweet : https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/832708293516632065

              FNM agenda tweet : https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/874576057579565056

              FNM awards tweet : https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/948359545767841792

              And no, just repeating your bald assertions doesn’t make them true. You still haven’t substantiated Trump’s claims because you’ve linked to the NYTimes rebuttal instead. Lots of erroneous journalism, but no proof of a Fake News Media as claimed by Trump on multiple occasions. What a waste of time.

              The WaPo Fact Checker had a slightly better summary, which ends like this:

              The Bottom Line
              To sum up, at least seven of the “Fake News” winners resulted in corrections, with two reports prompting suspensions or resignations. One of the winners were simply a tweet that were quickly corrected and never resulted in a news article. One was an opinion article in which the author later retracted his prediction.

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                Andrew McRae 30, 2018 at 2:37 am ·

                Leo, I see from your later reply you have no idea about the topic.

                Andrew, That is only your insane topic; never that of any rational folk! 🙂

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            Kinky Keith

            Hi Andrew,

            If all I had seen was the media clips of P45 going off his trolley and behaving like a crazy, I might have agreed with your assessment.

            I did, however, watch pretty much all of his speech and a bit of the questioning that followed.

            Surprisingly, the Trump that I saw was uncharacteristically dignified, mild mannered and sensible.

            What was most important was that he had been a significant party involved in a lot of the good news he was talking about.

            I was surprised and pleased to see this new portrayal of DJT and very impressed that it wasn’t a typical politicians speech full only of promises for the future; which in the case of most politicians would mean you would never see the promise realised.

            Did you watch it. It wasn’t the media Trump.

            KK

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          A few words which discuss “fake news”.
          A lie can be told while telling the Truth. That is why it is important to tell not only the Truth, but the WHOLE Truth. The Democratic Party is well equipped with spin doctors.

          Harry Reid, formerly Senate Majority Leader, was questioned about the ethics of a nineteenth century relative, a Great Uncle, as it were.
          The DNC office spun this yarn for the media:

          “Harry Reid’s Great Uncle Howard Reid was an accomplished at many skills in the days following the Civil War. Mr Reid carried out many thrilling activities in the territory which later became the State of Nevada. In the 1880’s Howard did business with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company. Following several endeavors in this capacity, Howard later became associated with the famous Pinkerton detective agency. Tragically, during a celebration held in his honor in Virginia City, Nevada, Mr. Reid tripped on a platform and fell to his death in 1883.”

          This is completely plausible, and contains nothing that can be construed as a falsehood.

          However, the story can be told with out the spin. Harry Reid’s Great Uncle was a notorious outlaw who after the Civil War rode with Jesse James. Following numerous bank robberies, the fugitive Howard Reid took to robbing trains. In a series of notorious heists, he robbed several Chesapeake and Ohio trains in a single month. Commissioned by the railway, the famous Pinkertons captured Howard who was subsequently tried, convicted and hung on a makeshift gallows in Virginia City Nevada in 1883, viewed by a roaring crowd.

          Today I was in inadvertently listening to the ABC. A news story related that “Andrew McCabe, 2nd director of the FBI, had decided to take his vacation prior to his planned retirement in March. This decision follows several disturbing hints from President Trump.” There are no lies in this story, spun by the NPR.

          The real story is that Christopher Wray, newly appointed Director of the FBI, early Monday morning reviewed the four page memo composed by Devin Noones and the House Intelligence Committee. Immediately on completing his review of this document, Mr Wray made a phone call. Minutes later two US Marshalls frog marched Andy McCabe out of the building. He will be allowed to collect his salary until he is eligible for retirement in March.

          Harry, can YOU spot the FAKE NEWS? If you are capable of that, You might gain some insight into the meaning of “Fake News”.

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            Peter C

            Fascinating.
            I am of course awaiting the release of the memo on the FBI which should be released by the end of the week.

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      Trump speaks not only to the people in the street, but also as plainly as the people in the street. He is thereby more able to communicate the deal.

      Trump is able to distil the essence of the objectives of his policies into words that connect with people who aspire and work to build a future for themselves; the people who relish continuing the chain of their own accomplishments.

      It’s no wonder that the elite-worshipping, left-leaning media cannot bear the thought of Trump being President.

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    Robert R

    Oh ha ha ha a few words about the wealthy elitist trendies who arrived on their personal jets in this very cold place currently experiencing some record low temperatures.
    They said countries have to put a carbon tax on all meat and dairy foods! Apparently all the cows and chickens are pharting too much and the CO2 from it is adding to dangerous global warming! (ooo and btw, I wondered when the leftie-vegan connection would kick in)

    But less protein food would cause famine and therefore less people. Oh well, for them that’s not problematic. I guess that would also lead to a reduction in net ex intestinal human carbon emissions as well. Ha ha, all this would be very funny, if it wasn’t so ridiculous!

    But however, the record cold temperatures in most of the world lately would mean that the world needs more CO2, not less CO2. But then hold on, how CO2 can even effect temperature on this planet……..there just ain’t enough of it in the atmosphere, dumb dumbs.
    So all of this elitist talk is just so much BS then? Are these elitist lefties just incredibly dumb or do they know it’s all BS? Or is it just that they have hidden agendas?

    In fact that there are two types of lefties that push Global Warming.

    1/ Those who are just dumb and simply can never see the logical connection between anything in regard to cause and effect. You can usually spot these types easily, they only have to open their mouths in attempted conversation.

    2/ The other type are those who know CO2 warming is a scam but have political and/or personal wealth income maintenance reasons for pushing the untruths associated with it as if these were reality. These later types pushing CO2 global warming are very dangerous for society. And these types may not even really be lefties but just act like them. But the utterances coming from their mouths are becoming more and more ridiculous, so it is more and more easy to pick them for what this type is.

    BTW, reality check!…….when is the world going to do something about all this?

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    mmxx

    Trump is a breath of fresh air to expose the embedded state of international diplomatic kickers of cans down roads.

    His opening stances on Paris 2015, North Korean nukes, Iran terrorism-sponsorship and the previously never-ending US subsidisation of supposed Mid-East peace talks are well-overdue circuit breakers to jolt and challenge the ongoing prosperous status quo of life-long negotiators who grow rich from achieving no resolutions or outcomes.

    All the while, Australian politics have been embroiled in debating homosexual marriage, the status of 26 January in forthcoming years and something on television called Bachelorette.

    Thank goodness that sea-level rise rate has remained static and non-threatening while we Australians have pondered those other vital strategic issues.

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    Antoine D'Arche

    Should he survive his term(s), I think he can succeed.
    Should they assassinate him, I think the US will explode internally.
    And someone HAS to get rid of Soros. And his successor(s) until that evil clan is wiped from the face of the earth.

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    yarpos

    Despite his not insubstantial ego, I think the Donald is actually growing into the job.

    Its funny to read various accounts of Davos. They range from him being greated like a rock star to him being booed and hissed at. We will probably never know the truth, and it probably doesnt matter.

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      Robert R

      I don’t think Trump is egotistic. The ones with ego in this story are the swamp creatures like Crooked H, Schumer and people like Flake and many others. Trump appears to be there for the experience of the achievement of what he is trying to do, not his ego……….This means making the economy work, providing opportunities for those with aspiration…..and to rid the world of the egotistic elitist groupies at the head of entrenched political groups who are living off the efforts of all those who, unlike them, are actually prepared to aspire and actually work for their wealth rather than extract their immense income and entitlements from the group.

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      Graham Richards

      The booing came from CNN & the other fake news peddlers.

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    mmxx

    Not intended for posting, but whatever!. (Dear Moderator – if my seemingly reasonable post #10 that remains subject to moderation for over one hour is causing problems, please delete it quickly. My continuing contributions over many years to this blog and to funding Jo’s website may dip in enthusiasm unless you explain to me why it is unacceptable especially as later posts by other bloggers have been posted openly today. Thanks)

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      AndyG55

      mmxx,

      Posts get hooked by the loopy, unpredictable auto-möd, often for totally unknown reason.

      Happens to me regularly, sometimes for good reason. 😉 somethings for no reason at all.

      DO NOT take it personally

      If this happens, email support AT joannenova.com.au (address is in the right margin.)

      Jo says she is “busy” today, and maybe the other möds are not reading the posts, they have lives as well, y’know, but could respond to an email.

      send an email and be patient

      [As one of the moderators, with a day job, and a family, I would like to thank Andy for his intervention. I do not make excuses, but I will acknowledge your frustration and apologize for your inconvenience.] Fly

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        AndyG55

        “Jo says she is “busy” today” ……. see at top of weekend unthreaded.

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        mmxx

        OK, Thanks AndyG55 for your helpful response. Cheers!

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          AndyG55

          No problemo. 🙂

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          AndyG55

          You can tell that I am quite used to triggering the auto mod…..

          …. and the real mods. 😉
          [We have noticed] Fly

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            AndyG55

            And I’m brilliant at triggering the dim-brained red-thumbers 🙂

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              ROM

              Wanna start a competiton on both Andy,
              .

              I’ve got a post in moderation too at present but Im sure ts a couple of sensitive words that I have included.

              Not sensitive from the normal flow of language but sensitive as far as Jo as the blog owner and operator might be subject to another of those very bigoted, anti white, anti english speaking, anti straight male australians, anti free speech and the human rights bigoted dictatorial bodies the governments have created to the severe detriment of the free flow of ideas and opinions in our Australian strong out spoken cultural settings .

              It only takes one anonymous complaint against a person or an organisation to trigger the human rights commissions bureaucratic investigations where the subject of the investigation is assumed to be guilty right from the start and his / her accuser is free from being identfied or being subject to cross examination before action is taken against the supposed perpetrator and subject of the complaint.

              A freedom of speech and a freedom of ideas and opinions and often offensive through out our history that has been a part and parcel of our Australian culture for all of our history except since the creation of the Human rights Commission.

              Jo as the publisher of this blog is right in the firing line if any of us post something on her blog that is deemed offensive to somebody somewhere by that somebody and / or somebody looking for publicity and compensation decides that they are offended by what some commenter has posted on Jo’s blog and takes Jo as the publisher of the blog where the comment is publicly made, to the Human Rights Commission.

              And there is no legal comeback or compensation to the likes of Jo, the publisher by the compaintant if the complaint is not upheld unless Jo sues them, an impossible piece of bureacratic bigotry against the potential unknowing victim of the non accepted and failed to be upheld complaintant by the usual biased governmental decree .

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                OriginalSteve

                The nazis used to encourage snitching too….they also used to recruit inmates in the WW2 concentration camps to snitch, so you would never know who you could trust…talk about low….

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                OriginalSteve

                Just so we are clear, im not equating any govt body or person with nazism….

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        John F. Hultquist

        I mentioned the other day (reply to pat) that expecting immediate response (appearance) of a comment is unrealistic. There is just too much going on in the digital world beyond our keystrokes.
        One of the oddest sites, for me, is ‘Energy Matters’, that works only if I hit submit, then close the window, and return to the site with a fresh window. Maybe John von Neumann could explain what happens, but he is long gone.

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    The transcript of the speech on Politico.com is a mess. Numerous errors and several misinterpretations.
    There is a more complete video on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZIhF1ptliU

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    Martin Hall

    The polarization over the last 30 years has now divided the country with two different realities. Everyone from the politicians, the media, down to the public seems to completely fall on one side or the other
    Sometime in the next 7-12 days, The four page document that “Is absolutely shocking” will be revealed to the public. It will likely prove the FBI, justice department, the Democratic national committee, The Clinton campaign, and others were politicized, and colluded to illegally spy on the Trump campaign. Once trump won, Clinton stopped paying for the false information, and The FBI paid. Then the FISA warrant was extended, and spied on Trump transition team.
    Every one 0f the Republicans that have been approved to read the secret document have been shocked.
    Everyone of the Democrats that read it, don’t want it to be de-classified
    Meanwhile, the Democrats keep the voters believing that trump will be impeached.
    The election was a shock to the left, and many are still in denial, clutching to the hope that trump will be removed from office.
    The revealing of the four page document will shatter their hopes of removing Trump, and the “clearing the swamp will begin
    Anxiety is amping up on the left. i see it in political shows, articles, and anecdotally from comment sections.
    The document release is where the rubber hits the road…the prism with which will change the color of the environment in The U.S.
    The left either collapses “Hate Trump” “All republicans are deplorable racists” platform, or starts civil unrest. The former is more likely.
    I believe next week will be the week Trump wins the 2020 election.
    _________________
    ALSO: This is just a part of all the scandals of the last administration. There are many more, but the justice department, and the media are now part of the Democratic party. We are draining the swamp.

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      Qanon

      The left either collapses “Hate Trump” “All republicans are deplorable racists” platform, or starts civil unrest. The former is more likely.

      Are you certain that the civil war has not already started? GS seems to have no end of paid mercenaries. Note Soros’ remarks at Davos. OTOH the legislation of 21 December 2017 enabling recovery of the billions absconded by Barry Soetoro is already underway, beginning with the Christmas day raid in Thailand.

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        Martin Hall

        I looked up Christmas day raid. The story originated from a conspiracy site, and their is no evidence for the story.
        Maybe I have a sick mind, but I was hoping it would prove true.

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      yarpos

      Personally I hope all you say is true, however I have heard so many times that “this is the big one” , “this will blow the lid off things” , etc etc that now I will believe it when I see it.

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        Harry Twinotter

        yarpos.

        And just maybe there is no “lid” to blow.

        It all sounds like wishful thinking doesn’t it? The big tough man is gunna come in and straighten out all the people we don’t like. Sort of like John Wayne and his Winchesters 🙂

        It’s classic Authoritarian thinking.

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          AndyG55

          Your leftist lid blew ages ago, twooter.

          The totalitarian authoritarian AIM of the far-left has been crushed in the USA by Trump’s WIN

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      ALSO: This is just a part of all the scandals of the last administration. There are many more, but the justice department, and the media are now part of the Democratic party. We are draining the swamp.

      The Justice department remains controlled by the previous administration. The evidence from the Office of the Inspector General, plus the messages between the kids Lisa & Peter at the rate of 30/day define the Upper management corruption especially in the FBI.
      Such must be addressed as sedition, criminal conspiracy, and deliberate obstruction of justice on the part of each and every member of the FBI. Perhaps the janitor can be found innocent! Will be nice to see all DC FBI regulars demoted to southern US border patrol! 🙂

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        Seems like Peter Strozok was CIA Director (shill) John Brennan’s guy over at the dysfunctional FBI. He got Lisa to spill all the dirt on director Comey and deputy McCabe. Super Spook Lt Gen. Mike Flynn (DIA) likely knew all about that way before the 2016 political campaign started! Are we having fun yet? 🙂 maybe

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      • #

        Time for the official disclaimer:
        I know nothing. I no speeka da Englitch. I youst been in dis country a short distance.

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    Leo Morgan

    This is the second thing I’ve read today that gives hope for the world.
    For those interested in the other thing, a leftie posted another anti-nuke pile of misrepresentations. But read the comments!
    https://imgur.com/gallery/jruGx

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    Martin Hall

    CORRECTION IN MY COMMENT ABOVE.
    The last line, The justice department “WAS” …… not “Is” part of the Democratic party.

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    David Maddison

    O/T

    It’s sad that Australian politics is no longer about deciding which party or candidate is best but which one is least dangerous.

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    Dave

    Trump loves his country and wants to see his people have a safe home and jobs.
    Businesses are returning and employment is growing, the sharemarkets up 50% .
    They have cut red tape and are producing cheap reliable power, full steam ahead in the United States.
    Trade deals to be fair across the board, no country gets better treatment than another.
    That’s Just some of his achievements in his first year.
    Now compare that to Australia
    We’re shutting down our cheap reliable power stations and paying a high price for it.
    We sell our gas cheaper to other countries than ourselves
    South Australia relies on other States for power when it’s unreliable renewable energy fails.
    They spend hundreds of millions on diesel and battery backup.
    The cost of living is through the roof.
    The state and federal governments have sold or leased all our major assets, the ports, railways, banks, power stations, etc
    Huge power price rises are killing businesses and jobs
    Turnbull and Shorten need to take note of how President Trump runs his country. Maybe it’s to late for these two clowns as the greens own them both.
    Trump 1, the rest of the green leaning World 0.

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    pat

    the #1 FakeNews anti-Trump media company in the world, taxpayer-funded via the licence fee:

    26 Jan: BBC: Donald who? Davos shrugs off President Trump’s visit
    By Katie Hope and Joe Miller
    Donald Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos was billed as a showdown between the sophisticated “global elites” who attend in droves, and the baseball-cap wearing president’s brash “America First” rhetoric.
    Yet mention his name in the bustling foyer of the Congress Centre, and the reaction is surprisingly benign.
    Many attendees shrug indifferently, rather than launch into an angry rant…

    ***Gabrielle Bacon, who lives in the US, says she gets to listen to President Trump a lot at home, and is not remotely excited about his Davos appearance.
    Her main interest is in the European leaders who have spoken here, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.
    She predicts, however, that his speech may not go down well, saying that President Trump is sometimes misunderstood in Europe.
    “He doesn’t talk in the same way as the European leaders and I think that’s very confusing to people,” she explains…
    http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42821699

    as with theirABC, it often pays to check out anyone BBC quotes. rarely does it seem to be a chance encounter:

    ***Gabrielle Bacon was formerly Canadian socialite, Gabrielle de Heinrich Sacconaghi, who married billionaire hedgefund manager, Louis Bacon ( Moore Capital Management) in 2007. Gabrielle is a trustee of his Moore Charitable Foundation. Louis Bacon has lately been described as an “environmentalist” or “conservationist”.

    Moore Charitable Foundation: Gabrielle Bacon
    Gabrielle Bacon is a Trustee of The Moore Charitable Foundation (“MCF”). She oversees the grant portfolio in the areas of education, health and the arts…
    On February 22nd, 2016, Gabrielle and Louis Bacon attended the inaugural Charles H.W. Foster Award Ceremony and Reception at Harvard University. During the visit, Gabrielle and Louis Bacon met with distinguished environmental leaders from the Harvard and New England communities, along with the inaugural class of Louis Bacon Environmental Leadership Fellows of the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership.
    https://www.moorecharitable.org/leadership/gabrielle-bacon-3/

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      pat

      another NIMBY!

      2012: Hedgeho: Secretive Louis Bacon has to reveal information about $15 billion Moore Capital to the SEC
      Meanwhile, for the past year, Bacon has been locked in a battle with Colorado conservationists and utilities who want to build transmission lines. Bacon is trying to keep the project off his 171,400-acre Trinchera Ranch, which he bought in 2007 from Malcolm Forbes’s family and which includes Mount Blanca, the state’s third-highest peak.
      A number of years ago, Bacon prevented development on his 435-acre Robins Island, off New York’s Long Island, and the 540-acre Cow Neck Farm in Southampton.
      In keeping with the conservationist views of his ancestors, in June, Bacon gave $100,000 to Riverkeeper, a group trying to shut down the Indian Point nuclear power plant located in the Westchester County suburb north of New York City…
      http://www.hedgeho.com/hedge-fund-rock-stars/hedge-fund-titans/secretive-louis-bacon-has-to-reveal-information-about-15-billion-moore-capital-to-the-sec/

      April 2010: UK Evening Standard: Meet cash king Louis Bacon: the richest hedge fund manager in London
      The workaholic financier, described by one commentator as a “Gordon Gekko de nos jours”, is the leading beneficiary of a dramatic year of recovery for London’s hedge fund industry…
      Mr Bacon founded and runs Moore Capital…
      ***Known for his daredevil trading strategies, he is reputed to be even more powerful than George Soros, the investor who bet against the pound in the 1992 ERM crisis…
      He is the first London hedge fund manager to reach billionaire status as an individual. Nat Rothschild of Atticus Capital was listed as a member of the £1.4 billion Rothschild dynasty in 2008, but he inherited much of his riches…

      quite a tale:

      Dec 2015: news.com.au: Egomaniacal billionaires hellbent on winning Bahamas blood feud
      IT’S a titanic battle between neighbours with touches of the Ku Klux Klan, claims of multiple homicide, drug trafficking, arson and terrorism.
      by Maureen Callahan, New York Post
      ONE is the Donald Trump of Canada: a billionaire known for seriously puffy hair, a penchant for plastering his last name on garish buildings, and the hurling of ruthless claims against any and all enemies.
      The other is also a billionaire, a square-jawed and physically imposing hedge-funder who rarely gives interviews and wields power from the shadows.

      For eight years now, the self-made apparel king Peter Nygard and the financial tycoon Louis Bacon have been locked in a wild battle over a strip of land on Nassau in the Bahamas — bringing in, along the way, Louis Farrakhan, Sean Connery, the Ku Klux Klan and claims of multiple homicide, drug trafficking, arson, insider training and terrorism.
      In a complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court this year, Bacon demanded that a jury hear his case against Nygard…
      http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/egomaniacal-billionaires-hellbent-on-winning-bahamas-blood-feud/news-story/2ed4f3f85674dc3ef9736be35cab95b5

      Aug 2016: Globe&Mail: Louis Bacon can’t sue Peter Nygard in New York over Bahamas property feud
      by CHRIS DOLMETSCH and BOB VAN VORIS, Bloomberg News
      Billionaire fund manager Louis Bacon lost another battle in his decade-long feud with Canadian clothing magnate Peter Nygard over their neighbouring properties in the Bahamas as a New York judge threw out Mr. Bacon’s defamation lawsuit claiming he was forced to flee the island country…
      Justice Kern noted that Mr. Bacon started nine separate legal actions in the Bahamas since 2011 related to the dispute. She dismissed the case on the condition that the defendants agree to the jurisdiction of that court system…
      —-

      somehow I doubt BBC didn’t know who Gabrielle Bacon was, so why not inform their audience.

      52

  • #
  • #
    Richard Ilfeld

    It’s cold this morning.
    62 deg F.
    Wait, you may say. That’s not cold.
    This is Florida, so trust me, it feels cold.
    But in the real world, Florida is a pretty good place to live, especially near the coast.
    Enough change of seasons to notice, but not cold enough to kill you if you happen to be homeless.
    We cope with an annual temperature difference of, oh, 30 – 40 deg F.
    Much of the country deals with 80- 90 deg F.
    Unless one lives in the extreme north of south, one can enter a different climate zone by driving north or south
    a couple of hundred miles.
    Much of the progress in the past few centuries has been made coping with this environmental change.
    Where is the opportunity in coping with a couple of degrees more or less, or a few inches for rain more or less,
    or a drought or wind. Whole populations have mastered a variety of extreme environments.

    Reducing our net capabilities by not using all the net resources at our disposal, reducing our ability to cope and calling it progress, is one the the greatest cult creations of all time. The global warming folks will go down in history. They make the luddites look like
    pikers.

    When one sees photos of functional coal plants being blown up, on can think of the mystery of meso-American cities, flourishing for centuries and abandoned over decades.

    The Green side of the social sciences, where everything is political and supports their current fad, pontificates “they could’t cope with the changes in their environment”.

    Hmmm. OK, if you say so. But we can. So why again shouldn’t we? Air conditioning now, or 2 degrees less in a hundred years. Maybe.

    You are a PhD in what, Again?

    82

  • #
    • #
      el gordo

      The monsoon is a little late but strong.

      With so much precipitation over the whole continent, without La Nina, iappears to be an anomaly. I’ll do some sleuthing.

      10

  • #
    Dave in the States

    A confirming moment that we made the correct choice was right after the election, and a lefty commentator on CNN, holding up his hand with about a 1-inch gap between his thumb and his forefinger, exclaimed in exasperation, ” We were this close to what we have been working on for fifty years, and this SOB (he uses the words) came along!”

    180

    • #
      yarpos

      Funny how some phrases seem to leap out and expose the game.

      I was reading an article the other day with a lead in saying “This is the proof of Russian collusion that we have been waiting for”

      Waiting for? really? its just a forgone conclusion and you just wait for something to prove what you already think? Ahh journalism RIP.

      60

  • #

    Cate and Elton were there in the front row to hear how the theme of this year’s Davos is “Resilient Dynamism”. I’ve had my eye on “Resilience” as buzz-word of the decade for some time, but Davos has really stormed home with RD. Cate’s and Elton’s deep concern and lots of RD are exactly what the world needs in 2018. It’s just a matter of how to get those six trill into the right pockets. No toaster retrofitter or light rail consortium will be left behind. Golden times.

    Except for Endless War and Endless Debt, of course. But who cares about EW and ED when you’ve got lots of RD?

    130

    • #
      yarpos

      I am a big fan of resilience. Its one of the main things we tried to instill in our kids, go hard, get back up, keep going.

      30

    • #

      the theme of this year’s Davos is “Resilient Dynamism”.

      dy·na·mism ‘dīnəˌmizəm/ noun Philosophy: The theory that phenomena of matter or mind are due to the action of forces rather than to motion or matter. Mid 19th century: Greek dunamis ‘power’ + -ism.
      re·sil·ient rəˈzilyənt/ adjective Able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed. Seems like they’re celebrating the feeling in your shoulder after shooting some thing\one with a rifle!!

      31

  • #
    Dave in the States

    The Sydney Morning Herald advertises the money-pile of green blob

    Businesses should seize a $US6 trillion ($7.45 trillion) opportunity to invest in tackling climate change over the next two decades, the head of an Indian multinational said at Davos on Thursday.

    “Climate change is the next century’s biggest financial and business opportunity,” Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, a $US19 billion conglomerate, told the World Economic Forum (WEF), an annual meeting of global business and political leaders held in the Swiss Alps resort of Davos.

    Mahindra likened the transformation to when cars were first introduced and the industry that developed around them. Climate change will also bring new appliances, technologies and retrofitting of old ones, he said.

    It really is all about the money and the power for these people. Who gets it (them) and who pays it (you and me).

    140

    • #
      TedM

      “Mahindra likened the transformation to when cars were first introduced and the industry that developed around them. Climate change will also bring new appliances, technologies and retrofitting of old ones, he said.”

      So did war, but just what positive outcome has that produced for humanity.

      60

  • #
    Ruairi

    The Leftists loathe Donald so much,
    But to face him, their courage is Dutch,
    As they tremble with hate,
    The U.S. becomes great,
    By the man with the Midas touch.

    280

  • #
    Leonard Lane

    Yes, America is significantly improving under President Trump. But the radical left (socialist and communist, eg antifa) are doing their best to cheat the American voters out of the President we picked. We have a biased special council who loaded his staff with left leaning crooks and traitors and the Democrats trying to bring him down. Please prey for justice and truth, President Trump, and all American patriots. Our nation is going through tough times.

    140

  • #
    Gordon

    GO TRUMP GO!
    GO TRUMP GO!
    GO TRUMP GO!
    America needs Trump. Canada needs Trump. The world needs Trump!

    201

  • #
    Harry Twinotter

    President Trump may not always be fake news, but he is cheap news. As to if he will have any impact on the US economy at all, time will tell.

    He certainly has a dumbed-down presentation, it appeals to some. If he was actually running the US it might make sense, but he isn’t. It’s Congress who run the US, at least the political part of it.

    237

    • #
      Richard Ilfeld

      You mean the congress that can’t budget, can’t legislate, can’t do oversight, and cen’t be civil? That Congress? They’re the one’s running things? It’s worse than we thought.

      Meanwhile, everything anybody does has an impact on the economy. The curse of Wickard.

      Googling wickard v fiburn now…..

      212

      • #
        Harry Twinotter

        Well maybe the US Congress will get their act together an impeach Trump before he does too much damage. That is a news item I would like to see.

        340

        • #
          AndyG55

          You mean before he completely dismantles the Anti-American, and free-speech, socialist/left-wing fascist agenda…that is Obama’s fetid legacy, and would have continued under the even more putrid H.Clinton?

          The only damage he is doing is to the feeble minds of stunted leftists like you, twotter.

          275

        • #
          Qanon

          Who is RM investigating?
          Who met with Trump 05/16?
          Where is HRC? Who was dealing with VP?
          Follow the money.

          31

        • #
          Antoine D'Arche

          Impeach him for what, exactly? What is the charge? Which law has he broken?
          Again, you invite ridicule by being very nonspecific.
          Bill Clinton took illegal foreign campaign contributions for decades including from the Chinese for his presidential candidacy, the FBI knew, didn’t get impeached for it. Conveniently got investigated for sexual misconduct. Very convenient. Managed to avoid prison by that convenience.
          Take your pick for Obama, including authorising an illegal firearm sting operation. Never impeached. Illegal executive execution orders regarding US citizens in foreign countries. Never even investigated publicly.
          You cannot state/ hope for/ wish for that he will be impeached without stating a charge.

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          • #

            You cannot state/ hope for/ wish for that he will be impeached without stating a charge.

            Congressional impeachment needs no charge of wrong-doing only dissatisfaction by the now criminal house-of-representatives.
            OTOH Obummer, Mrs Crinton need not be in office to be both impeached and convicted by senatorial vote as unfit for office! Now what? Are we having fun yet?

            42

        • #
          Kinky Keith

          “and”

          21

        • #
          BruceC

          Harry Twinotter:

          Well maybe the US Congress will get their act together an impeach Trump before he does too much damage. That is a news item I would like to see.

          You really should stop watching CNN Harry (or our ABC), this is the real news that CNN and our ABC are not reporting.

          https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/01/27/obstruction-of-justice-special-agent-strzok-text-message-highlights-fbi-investigative-intent/

          BTW, reports are that that ‘4-page memo’ (that the FBI and DoJ do not want released) could be made public as soon as tomorrow or at the latest, mid-week (U.S. time).

          21

    • #
      Clint

      Indeed, time has told.

      I had written a rebuttal of your nonsensical points but realised the mere fact you wrote what you did was either to intentionally grandstand in a provocative manner or that you were simply unaware of very much at all, or perhaps both.

      So instead, I would merely suggest that it is because of people like you that DJT was elected to restore sanity. It seems the US markets agree, US prosperity and employment flourish, and Congress is inexorably being forced to deal with the DACA executive order that Obama foisted on the American people.

      In fact, it would seem probable that most at Davos are thankful for the sizzling US stock market that likely sees their collective net worths escalate to the point of embarrassment. It gives particularly poignant meaning to cognitive dissonance.

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      • #
        Harry Twinotter

        Hey rebut away, these comments are a discussion forum.

        “DJT was elected to restore sanity”

        Really? Trump lost the popular vote, and basically got in on a technicality. Some mandate. The US would have got about the same outcome if they had just flipped a coin, and it would have been a lot cheaper.

        443

        • #
          Lance

          Well, Harry, you’ve proven that emotional thinking is no substitute for critical thinking or realistic thinking.

          Trump won the Electoral College. That means he won the Presidency.

          Winning the popular vote would be a “plus”, but is not necessary if the Electoral College is won.

          Read the Constitution. The Electoral College is the ultimate goal for any candidate. Like it or not.

          The “EC” represents the States and acts as a counterbalance to mob rule by popular vote. Each State decides how their EC votes are distributed (proportional, all or none ) and that is decided by the Legislature of each State , the Legislatures being decided by the popular vote within a State.

          Flipping a coin to decide the Presidency would obviously be cheaper. But that wasn’t the point of the election, now was it? Trump persuaded more States. Clinton ignored the “little people” and pandered to the leftist ideologues she was comfortable with. That was her fatal mistake. Hubris.

          Nice try, Harry. I’m so very glad Trump outsmarted Clinton’s machine, a rigged DNC primary, the lapdog media, the Weaponized Obama DOJ, FBI, NSA, IRS, DNI, and other moles, and not least, your favorite coin.

          It is quite enjoyable watching progressive Marxist liberal heads explode. Thanks for the laughs.

          Have a nice day 🙂

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          • #
            Qanon

            Ignore the MALADJUSTED popular vote.
            Deduct the 16 million illegitimate votes and DJT won the “popular vote” in a landslide.
            SR died after exposing the scam.

            111

          • #
            Rereke Whakaaro

            Don’t be too hard on the Twinotter. He provides useful services on this site.

            Firstly, by pointing out his misconceptions and downright lack of any critical thinking, we can encourage other fellow travelers to be a little more circumspect than they would otherwise be.

            Secondly, he is the blogging equivalent of a canary in the coal mine. When the Twinotter jumps into the fray, shouting from the lip, the regulars can be assured that the topic is spot on, and right on message. He keeps the rest of us from drifting into complacency.

            71

            • #
              Kinky Keith

              🙂

              21

            • #
              AndyG55

              “Don’t be too hard on the Twinotter”

              I’m always very gentle in my responses to him. ! 😉

              23

              • #

                A Twin-otter is crap! Only use a Pilatus 680 HP turbo porter to go into then out-of nasty places. Most times your six place “recovery” crew are safely aboard!
                Ever been aboard a tail-dragger backing out of a landing spot,then taking off into headwind while going backward? Big motors work!
                All the best!-will-

                10

        • #
          AndyG55

          OMG , poor twotter, still can’t accept that Donald Trump is POTUS.

          Legally elected under the Constitution of the USA.

          GET OVER IT.

          Your constant whining is really PATHETIC.

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        • #
          Dave in the States

          The only demographic segment that gave Hillary the popular vote, was California, and the votes cast there have a pall of illegitimacy hanging over them. California’s electoral votes all went to Hillary so those lefties got represented anyway.

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          • #
            OriginalSteve

            Yeah well CA is almost as disfunctional as South Australia, and thats saying something….

            In a clear day, in South Australia, you can hear the state economy crumbling….

            41

        • #
          Clint

          HT, FYI ‘popular’ vote. Nothing new really. It doesn’t exist, except possibly largely in the mind of losers.

          “Five times a candidate has won the popular vote and lost the election. Andrew Jackson in 1824 (to John Quincy Adams); Samuel Tilden in 1876 (to Rutherford B. Hayes); Grover Cleveland in 1888 (to Benjamin Harrison); Al Gore in 2000 (to George W. Bush); Hillary Clinton in 2016 (to Donald J. Trump).”

          Electoral College Fast Facts

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        • #
          amortiser

          Harry,

          “Trump got in on a technicality”.

          The objective of the US election is to obtain a majority in the Electoral College. There is no uncertainty about that objective unless it comes from you, Hillary Clinton or the Democrats.

          Trump ran his campaign based on that objective. He perceived that he had no hope of winning the big states of New York or California so he invested little of his resources there where he would get no Electoral College votes no matter how much he spent there.

          He ceded those states to Clinton and concentrated his resources on the tighter races.

          You, Clinton and the Democrats are whinging about victory in a contest that did not exist.

          If the majority vote was the contest, Trump’s strategy would have been entirely different.

          It was really an unfortunate accident with, as everybody knows, Trump being the mental defective that he is.

          191

          • #
            RAH

            The electoral college is not a “technicality”. It is how the winner of presidential elections are determined as per the Constitution.
            The founders determined that a straight popular vote would provide far too much power to the states with large populations. Their determination to create the electoral college was based on the same reasoning why they selected a Republic and not a democracy for the form of our government. To prevent a tyranny of the majority. A fantastic side benefit for us in these times is that it makes “hacking” or determining the winner by fraudulent votes or other means very difficult if not impossible. The claim that the election was “hacked” by the Russians is an out and out lie. No one anywhere has been able to demonstrate that a single vote was shifted by outside forces during the last election. It also minimizes the impact of illegal votes such as those cast by illegal aliens. Fact is in the last election California is what gave Hillary the edge in the popular vote and in that state they are allowing noncitizens to vote. The older I get and the more I have learned the more I am humbled by the wisdom, the pure genius, of those that founded this nation and formed it’s government. Imagine what we would have if the current crop were called on to do such a task.

            51

        • #
          Binny

          Popular vote is B.S. Trump was elected by the same method as ever other president in US history.
          The really big news about the Trump election. Is that the overwhelming majority of the media, rejected this democratic process.
          In short the western media NO LONGER BELIVE IN DEMOCRACY

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          • #
            RAH

            Really to me the really big news of the election was how Trump overcame the old media being all in for Hillary and how shocked they all were when their supposed influence and fake polls failed to swing the election results. Even now I sometimes relive election night watching YouTube videos of the press coverage that night and the delicious moments when they came to realize that Trump would not just win, but would win big taking FL, OH, PA, MI, and WI.

            41

        • #

          Seriously Harry, you really need to read more than those sites which affirm your beliefs.

          That popular vote fallacy was just that, a fallacy, latched onto when the main game, the Electoral College, went what you perceive as the wrong way. The Democrats and their supporters all knew the rules and after the event, they put up this distraction. It was so transparent, a sort of we lost but we really won.

          I wrote about it at the time, the comedy that surrounded that pouted bottom lip popular vote meme, which in reality was all you had.

          The Popular Vote Fallacy Of The 2016 Presidential Election

          Tony.

          201

          • #
            RAH

            To progressives losing is never losing. It’s just winning delayed.
            Time will tell where we are really going. Historically the party of the newly elected POTUS takes a beating in the first midterm election. If that does not happen. If the democrats cannot make a significant dent in the Republican majority in the HR then we are on a path towards sustained prosperity. The cards in the Senate are so stacked against the Democrats in this coming midterm election that it would be very difficult for them to gain a majority in that body despite the thing Republican margin. Things have worked out so that far more democrats are up for re-election than Republicans in the Senate and eight of those democrats are from States that Trump won.

            21

        • #
          glen Michel

          with everything arrayed against you its not a bad outcome. Sad for you that Trump won but it puts you in the basket of sore losers.

          61

        • #
          Extreme Hiatus

          Ha ha. I thought the (illegal) popular vote line had gone the way of the starving polar bears.

          Let’s see. Harry probably loves Canada’s Justin Trudeau too, and his ‘majority’ government. They got 39.5% of the votes cast. 60.5% voted for somebody else.

          Fair? No. But that is how the system works.

          The real beauty of Trump’s victory was that he won a RIGGED election – with the sleazy Obamites and their corrupted government agencies, many Republicans, the Davos Gang and almost the whole MSM propaganda machine against him.

          It takes a special kind of seriously bad candidate to lose a rigged election and Hillary was up to that job as this video shows:

          “Hillary Clinton Yelling “Why am I not 50 Points Ahead?!?!”

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrO7KDMfx_0

          101

          • #
            AndyG55

            “Harry probably loves Canada’s Justin Trudeau too”

            In a sort of “boy crush” creepy kind of way.

            44

            • #
              Extreme Hiatus

              Well Andy, as you probably know, Justin’s handler and the ‘brains’ behind his stupidity is a guy named Gerald Butts. He was formerly in the Ontario government where he led their plunge into ‘renewables’ which gave that province the highest electricity costs in Canada and Toronto the highest costs of any North American city – when it formerly had cheap electricity. He was also the head of the World Wildlife Fund Canada, another totally corrupt Watermelon venture.

              So, as they say, Justin loves Butts.

              81

        • #
          Antoine D'Arche

          There has never been a legally recognised “popular vote”. The electoral college vote is the ONLY recognised vote for the office of president. Reason? Because of the inherent gerrymander in a popular vote, due to concentration of people in urban areas with the potential to dominate the presidential vote.
          How is it that it 2018, some 230 yrs after the system was created, people STILL persist with the notion of a popular vote. All that does is mark you as an individual who is too lazy to read and educate yourself, or someone who is willing to use a specious argument to support your position. The latter is unfortunately a common finding in human debate with an alarming preponderance amongst the Left.

          81

        • #
          yarpos

          Nobody knows what the popular vote was as:

          a) under the American system they stop counting votes once a winner is clear

          b) nobody knows the number of non residents who voted

          c) voting fraud (dead people registered, multiple registrations)

          It is all rather moot as the popular vote isnt even the system used. The inability to get over it an move on with life and political discussion is really just a bit childish and tantrum like.

          51

        • #
          ROM

          Ah Harry, DO read some history before you once again put you right foot into your mouth where as it should have been your left foot that you put in there.

          You’re slipping my lad! You are making it a bit too easy these days.
          ————————————
          History Of Popular Vote Losers, Election Winners
          .

          There have been five instances thus far an electoral college winner failed to win popular votes, with all the popular vote winners being Democratic candidates.
          Here are the years and the winners and losers of the elections when the popular vote wins failed to translate to electoral college wins.
          .

          1824: Andrew Jackson, the popular vote winning Democratic candidate lost out to John Quincy Adams..

          1876: Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden, despite winning the popular votes was narrowly defeated in electoral college by Republican Rutherford Hayes.
          .
          1886: Democrat Grover Cleveland, winner of popular vote, lost out to Benjamin Harrison in terms of electoral college votes.
          .
          2000: Democrat Al Gore lost to Republican George Bush.
          .
          2016: Clinton lost to Trump, despite winning the popular vote.
          .

          Source; Every President Who Won The Election But Lost The Popular Vote

          With California taken out of the popular vote, Trump would have won the popular vote as well as the Electoral College in the rest of the USA by a considerable margin.

          71

        • #
          BruceC

          Here is how it works Harry, in simple terms even you could understand.

          In the baseball World Series of 1960 the NY Yankees scored 55 runs and the Pittsburgh Pirates scored 27. If one does not understand the game, one might think the NY team won. The Pirates became the champions that year.

          Why?

          The Pirates won more games!

          Hillary lost!

          Time for you to buy a new colouring book and crayons.

          22

        • #
          Raven

          Trump lost the popular vote . .

          1/3 of the votes went to Trump and a 1/3 went to Hillary.
          The other 1/3 of the country didn’t even get off the couch!
          Phffft . . .

          20

          • #
            Harry Twinotter

            Raven.

            Yours is about the only sensible reply. My point was indeed about whether Trump has a clear mandate or not – the numbers say he doesn’t.

            Yes, I find it incredible the Yanks have so little faith in their own democratic process and refuse to vote. If every one voted, then Bernie Sanders would probably be President.

            I have heard anecdotally Russia has a better voter turnout than the USA.

            21

            • #
              Raven

              My point was indeed about whether Trump has a clear mandate or not – the numbers say he doesn’t.

              Well, you can keep on telling yourself that – there’s no problem as far as I’m concerned.
              Hilary won the popular vote; everyone knows that.

              Alternative fact:
              Donald Trump, is the 45th president of the United States and was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

              Hillary Clinton attended the inauguration as a past first lady along with many other past presidents and first ladies.
              All of this was in the news.

              21

            • #
              Raven

              If every one voted, then Bernie Sanders would probably be President.

              Well, Bernie Sanders could have won if Hillary hadn’t . . which she didn’t and neither did he.
              Also, Jill Stein could have won if Hillary hadn’t and Bernie hadn’t.

              Taken to it’s logical conclusion, Harry Twinotter could be the POTUS if Bernie, Hillary, Jill and a long line of others also didn’t win . . which they didn’t.

              Congratulations Harry. 😉

              11

              • #
                sophocles

                Well, that was my cup of tea all over my keyboard. Harry as POTUS … 🙂

                I think the world is safe from that …

                21

            • #
              Rereke Whakaaro

              I have heard anecdotally Russia has a better voter turnout than the USA.

              Oh dear, what part of the phrase, “mandatory voting, by law”, do you not understand?

              You really are the most ill-informed dweeb, that I have ever come across.

              21

            • #
              BruceC

              If every one voted, then Bernie Sanders would probably be President

              If it wasn’t for Hillary 😉

              Keep an eye on the news in the next few days ………….. if the ABC reports it. 😉

              00

            • #
              BruceC

              Just filling you in Harry, on Sunday night the Justice Department was granted access to view the House Intelligence Committee memo known as the ‘Nunes Memo’.

              .
              .
              .
              .
              .
              .
              .
              .

              Deputy FBI Director Andrew “Andy” McCabe was removed from his position effective immediately.

              00

            • #
              BruceC

              Here’s something else for you Harry, “Andy” McCabe lead the Clinton ’email’ investigation.

              Insert ‘Twilight theme music’ here.

              10

        • #
          peter

          “Trump lost the popular vote, and basically got in on a technicality” Really? Technicality? That’s called electorate democracy. We use it in Australia and most democracies use it too. You were happy with previous presidents being elected by the same system but when Trump won, you and other critics spat the dummy – poor loser. Go to Hell Twotter.

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          • #
            Harry Twinotter

            I like it that you delusional right-wingers like him. It makes you look all the more stupid.

            14

            • #
              AndyG55

              You really are HURTING, aren’t you twotter, poor petal.

              A DULY ELECTED President, and making great stride towards MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.:-)

              The socialist, anti-capitalist scäm is over, in the US, at least. 🙂

              33

              • #
                BruceC

                Thing is Harry, after 12 months of investigation ……….. nothing has been found! Nada, zip, nothing!

                00

            • #
              BruceC

              Watch the news Harry … if the ABC has the guts to report it.

              Looks like what is about to happen will make WaterGate look like a couple of kiddies playing in the sandpit …… and yes, it goes right to the TOP!

              00

          • #
            Graeme No.3

            Lincoln didn’t win the popular vote either.

            Is Harry actually a citizen of the USA?

            01

      • #
        sophocles

        Clint (@30.2) said

        I had written a rebuttal of your nonsensical points but realised the mere fact you wrote what you did was either to intentionally grandstand in a provocative manner or that you were simply unaware of very much at all, or perhaps both.

        Congratulations Clint, you’ve now met Harry Twinotter, Idiot and Bar, ExSpurt Thread Hijacker (where Ex is the Unknown Quantity and a Spurt is a Drip under Pressure…), Defender of Phillistine Scribblers and this Blog’s percipiently under-endowed Anthropogenic Global Warming daedalist, once described as a cretinous coprocephalic.

        If you overlook or omit the perhaps then you’ve got him accurately taped.

        He’s also popular and well liked by blog readers with over 43 redthumbs in this thread alone.

        31

        • #
          Harry Twinotter

          You right-wing echo-chambers are amusing for around 5 minutes. Bring on the anti-vaxxers, now some of them actually know how to make an argument.

          22

          • #
            AndyG55

            You are always amusing , twotter , in a rancid clown-like slap-stick way.

            Your arguments are EMPTY, as always.

            33

            • #
              sophocles

              It seems Harry’s percipience is indeed under-endowed along with his perception. He seems to see everything in terms of Black and White, Left wing and Right wing.

              With a two-dimensional world-view, Harry, your world can only be two dimensional. If Flat Earthism was still fashionable you would be a leading proponent, crying `it’s Science!’ all the way. At least you admit to a five-minute attention span, but if you are hearing echoes, Harry, you really should have your hearing checked. Before it’s too late.

              FWIW, Harry, I occupy a 4-dimensional world, being neither left wing nor right wing. 🙂

              10

              • #
                AndyG55

                And I’m purely centrist, and practical and pragmatic.

                Thing is, basically NOTHING from the leftist ideology ever practical or pragmatic,

                ….. and certainly, is almost never, sensible. !!

                02

          • #
    • #
      RAH

      Yeh right. You obviously don’t know and don’t care to learn. In the speech the POTUS specifically addressed cutting regulations and rules. Those are Administrative regulations and rules put in place and enforced by the administration and not congress. It was not congress that initiated the tax cut, it was Trump, though it required congress to pass it into law. It was not congress that initiated a drive to eliminate Obama care but Trump. And then a Republican congress that had repeatedly voted for repeal of it when Obama was in office, showed their true colors and did not follow through on what they had promised time and again. But Obama care or IOW the “Affordable Health Care Act” when passed left a tremendous amount of leeway for the administration and Trump immediately did what he could using that authority to try and minimize the impact when it fails as it has to.

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      • #
        Harry Twinotter

        RAH.

        Yes, lots of talk from the POTUS. But talk is cheap. I am surprised that people have not woken up to the fact that Presidential Power is just a big bluff. I will repeat what I said before – the US Congress has the power. And when the US Congress decides that President Trump is not fit for office, they will impeach him.

        23

        • #
          Rereke Whakaaro

          It was Congress that gave Trump the Presidency. If he does nothing illegal, Congress would find it very hard to make a case for impeachment. Not liking him is not sufficient grounds. If he continues to deliver, what he was elected to deliver, then he will be untouchable. You may not like it, but I say, “Suck it up”. You are starting to look like a sore loser who doesn’t understand all the checks and balances, built into the the way that American politics works.

          51

          • #
            Harry Twinotter

            That’s OK. The USA has many enemies and they love to see it grow weak. They smell blood in the water and are now beginning to circle.

            21

            • #
              AndyG55

              “and they love to see it grow weak.”

              That is why they loved having Obama there.

              Now, they PANIC as the duly elected President brings back US pride and starts to make the USA great again.

              ” and are now beginning to circle”

              And yes, they are trying desperately to circle their wagons… in desperation, and in vain 🙂

              33

    • #
      yarpos

      “As to if he will have any impact on the US economy at all, time will tell.” reporting from another Universe Harry?

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    • #
      AndyG55

      And you , twotter are just cheap, or a better word.. worthless.

      Really glad to see that Trump’s presentation TRIGGERED you.

      You must feel so pathetic. 🙂

      And what could they possibly impeach him for. Being the BEST most effective, efficient, patriotic American president in a long time ???

      127

      • #
        Kinky Keith

        Andy,

        I gave Harri a green, thumbs up on one of his comments.

        I thought it showed a lot of guts to come back and display his very basic awareness of all things academic.

        He knows a little bit of Latin, frequently using the term “ad hominem”, and seems to be aware that academics “publish” their findings.

        He seems to have gone off pier review lately.

        Probably brings up the image of a fellow climate scientist sitting on the end of the pier fishing for another grant.

        KK

        63

        • #
          AndyG55

          “I gave Harri a green, thumbs up on one of his comments.”

          Bad shot, hey…..

          Aim a bit to the right next time. 🙂

          75

        • #

          Probably brings up the image of a fellow climate scientist sitting on the end of the pier fishing for another grant.

          Long ago was the long eastern pier at Island ADAK Alaska Naval base. You did not want to be transfered to ADAK for giving finger to nasty superior ossifer! Some never learn! 🙂

          53

          • #
            RAH

            It is my idea that the likes of Gavin Schmidt should be moved to such places or perhaps even further afield such as about as far out on the Aleutian chain as possible. Of course Summit research station on the Greenland ice sheet would be better so they can observe all that melting they’ve been claiming is going on.

            41

        • #
          Harry Twinotter

          Dude, you are a fan!

          12

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Harry, did you howl at the sky when The Donald whupped Hellary?

        53

    • #
      AndyG55

      The amount of REPAIR work that Trump has already managed is often DESPITE Congress, rather than with their help.

      Congress contains too much of the fetid swamp.

      Hopefully as Trump continues to WIN, and WIN, and WIN again, the swamp creatures in the Congress will learn to get out of his way.. or suffer the consequences.

      146

      • #
        RAH

        The Heritage Foundation Judges Trumps first year superior to Ronald Reagans.
        https://conservativetribune.com/trump-another-reagan-achievement/

        70

      • #
        sophocles

        The Congressional elections are in November this year.
        It might be interesting to see what the Americans who visit here think of them.

        I wouldn’t know one Congress critter from another, they all look like be-suited agillators to me.

        10

        • #

          I wouldn’t know one Congress critter from another, they all look like be-suited agillators to me.

          Close as the US alligator is vicious but lazy! Mz Crinton is closer to your Crocodile! Some few have started to represent their constituency! Not enough; perhaps by this November “NONE” shall ever be re-erected.
          The end of national political parties and the moneyed graft an corruption that surrounds such political back stabbing. Even with your shoulder to the wheel and nose to the grindstone; nothing can be done while simultaneously watching your back!
          All the best!-will-

          00

    • #
      Yonniestone

      “He certainly has a dumbed-down presentation” well necessity is the mother of invention Harry……..

      33

      • #
        AndyG55

        The “crowd” is basically all far-left socialists and their psycho-fants……..

        He should have aimed it at kindergarten level.

        36

    • #
      Antoine D'Arche

      “any impact on the economy at all”
      By what metric do you define impact? You need to state that, otherwise you invite ridicule. Which might be your intent, right?
      The Dow has climbed past 26,600 less than 2 weeks after people were speculating if it would break 25,000 points.
      Apple is moving $240 billion of business back on shore to the US.
      Unemployment is at record lows.
      Capital value of the markets has increased by well over $1 trillion, perhaps $2 trillion, since he took office, which is about a 40% increase. In 12 months.
      Employees are receiving up to US$3000 in bonus payments because of his company tax cut.
      This is a short list, but which of these do you think could be considered “any impact at all”?

      73

  • #
    Lance

    Re: Election of Trump

    “Men and nations behave wisely when they have exhausted all other resources.” Abba Elban, Mar. 1967

    “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing…after they have exhausted all other possibilities.”

    Attributed to Sir Winston Churchill (cannot confirm)

    America HAS tried everything else, QED. 🙂

    So far, it seems to be working out swimmingly.

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    • #

      “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing…after they have exhausted all other possibilities.” America HAS tried everything else, QED. 🙂

      Americans always try everything! Sometimes such blows up in your face. LEARNING!, get your younger brother\sister to try that next time. (kindly, so he\she may also learn) Momma has to scold; then has to clean up this mess!

      22

  • #
    robert rosicka

    So Twotter wrote ” Wah, Wah , Wah , Wah , Wah , Wah, try holding your breath for 10 minutes and throwing yourself at the floor do it properly .

    53

    • #
      el gordo

      Steady on Robert, pick on somebody tour own size.

      The days of American exceptionalism is coming to an end, Beijing’s globalisation model which eliminates world poverty is being well received.

      Xi has told Davos its Donald’s old world order which is on the nose in the 21st century.

      33

      • #
        Clint

        el gordo, hardly surprising ‘the model’ is as you suggest, ‘being well received‘, from one elite in a one party totalitarian Communist state to a gathering of elites aspiring to create another one party totalitarian State.

        40

        • #
          el gordo

          Putting aside political orientations, Davos is about economics.

          Donald is proud of giving tax cuts to wealthy corporations and the upper middle class, its the trickle down effect, but will it eliminate poverty in America? They don’t even have universal health care.

          Communism with Chinese characteristics is becoming the new world order as America slides into isolationism. This is not a bad thing, the US is pretty much self sufficient and perhaps should pull out of the UN, leaving the running to Beijing.

          I support Donald’s distaste for dumping, China is a late comer to capitalism and needs to modify its excesses.

          21

          • #
            Lance

            Gee, Gordo, you sure know how to spin a yarn. Neither Reality, Economics, nor History are buying it.

            80% or more, some say 94%, of Americans will see a tax cut. Let’s explore tax cuts.

            Those who earn the most pay the most taxes, so of course they receive a larger total tax relief. As it ought be.
            The top 20% of earners pay 84% of all income taxes (2014) https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-20-of-earners-pay-84-of-income-tax-1428674384

            . The bottom 45% of earners pay Zero income taxes. The bottom 50% of earners pay 2.8% of income taxes.

            https://www.ntu.org/foundation/page/who-pays-income-taxes

            Corporations don’t pay taxes. They pass the taxes on to their product prices or shareholders or via limitations in benefits and wages to workers. Corporate taxes harm everyone including the Govt.

            If you’d like to maximize tax revenue, Arthur Laffer did that analysis for you: Optimum Tax Revenue occurs at a rate of 65% on labor and 22% on corporations/capital. http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2010/04/laff_it_up_tax_lovers.html

            Gordo, face up to reality. Govt spends too much, subsidizes ineffective things, distorts economic reality, and isn’t supposed to provide everything to everyone. If you like State Directed Industry, that makes you a Nazi. If you like State Owned And Directed industry, that makes you a Socialist. If you like to decide for yourself what you buy and how much you are willing to spend on security and services, that makes you a Capitalist. If you want everything from the Govt for nothing, that makes you a parasite. If you want what someone else has without having worked for it and earned it, that makes you a proto-thief, an actual thief if you actually do it.

            Tell you what, Gordo, since you espouse everything for everyone via taxation from an all powerful state, why don’t you move to the most glorious example of that theory on Earth: Venezuela. I’ll even pay for your one way passage.

            Someone has to create the wealth you want to distribute. It isn’t the State that creates that. It is the free market of labor, capital, ideas, and private property. At best, the State is a politically motivated thief who bears no responsibility for being wrong. I’ll take the free-est market possible and take my chances. Liberals love Darwinian Evolution, except when it comes to economics, national security, private property, and hard work.

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            • #
              el gordo

              ‘The bottom 45% of earners pay Zero income taxes. The bottom 50% of earners pay 2.8% of income taxes.’

              My bad, I didn’t know that.

              No point in mentioning the Venezuela model, democracy throws up the most appalling people.

              Beijing says they are using a new form of capitalism to pull the world out of poverty, Washington says we have no such ambition.

              Honestly, its no contest.

              21

              • #
                Lance

                China’s “new form of Capitalism” is a ruse. It is the equivalent of saying “Nice doggy” then “Wham!”.

                China manipulates its currency, undermines global economies, and is attempting to buy strategic minerals, agriculture, energy, and intellectual property at an alarming rate.

                Take the 3 Gorges Dam project for example. When copper was $1.50/lb, they placed an order for twice as much copper as they needed for the alternators and bus bars at market price. This drove the copper price to $4/lb. When they took delivery of their copper, they sold the other half of their order at market price and essentially got their copper for nothing. They tried to buy Canadian Potash mines or majority control of them because without potash, your crops fail. Leveraging strategic materials is their specialty. Stealing intellectual property is an art form. Raping and pillaging their own land for rare earth minerals has left vast swaths of China uninhabitable.

                The “new form of Capitalism” that China is selling is a strategic feint to buy time for them to consolidate their hold on actual resources, capital, markets, and economies. In essence it is National Socialism (Nazi) economics (State directed Capitalism) with a direct economic/military domination element that is barely hidden. The State still decides all of the rules, all of the winners, and all of the losers. Enough crumbs are tossed to the citizenry to keep them in line, but no power is shared and everything can change in a moment because there is no “private property rights”. Everything is “in the state”.

                Mussolini originated this idea, Hitler applied it differently, but the Fascist/Nazi roots of it are all there to see in 1920-1939 Italy/Germany. This isn’t new. Its just new to some people now who don’t know History.

                China will not pull the world out of poverty. They will impoverish the world for the benefit of China.

                China does not think in terms of years. They think in terms of decades and centuries.
                Their model is “China will win whether anyone else does or not”. Nationalism on steroids.

                There are very real concerns about State debt. http://www.businessinsider.com/china-debt-a-symptom-of-state-capitalism-2016-6

                The one-sided terms of contracting with China are another danger.
                https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444549204578022710399534602

                I can’t say I blame them. I do say to be extraordinarily careful in dealing with them.

                Anyone who enters into China’s “new capitalism” without open eyes and a wary sense of being “taken” is a fool.

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              • #
                Lance

                No company or nation should accept the “new Capitalism” of China without having a native South Korean economist and historian “on staff” to interpret what is being proffered. Koreans have a unique understanding of China and her “deals” dating back several thousand years. Ignoring that resource could be fatal to a company or nation.

                Sun Tzu said: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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              • #
                el gordo

                Old world capitalism is what the US and European nations imposed on China all those years ago, remember the Opium Wars and Hong Kong, disgraceful behaviour.

                Beijing is a benevolent dictatorship and our biggest trading partner, there is no going back.

                Should we give up the Alliance?

                11

            • #

              Gee, Gordo, you sure know how to spin a yarn. Neither Reality, Economics, nor History are buying it.

              May I suggest a way of paying fairly for lawful governmental operation? Collect huge fee (tax) for any “boughten” inducement to buying (advertising)!
              Such should range from fee 3% for local want ad; to 6000% fee for paid inducement (advertising) to vote for any political candidate!
              Many things need no (advertising)! JIF peanut butter on Sara Lee\Pepperidge farm bread to help Dad drive the new John Deere\Kubota tractor needs no (advertising) only Mommas reluctant permission\worry!
              All the best!-will-

              12

          • #

            Putting aside political orientations, Davos is about economics.

            You have not begun to even attempt to learn the language\scam used\avoided in this physical\social\political war! You remain a outsider\potential slave\cattle! Try to beware.

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            • #
              el gordo

              Are you talking about Deep State?

              20

              • #

                How about Insane Greed; not just wealth, but absolute domination over anything considered lesser! Like pulling wings from bugs! Most kids get over it! 🙂

                32

              • #
                el gordo

                Its hard to believe that 22,000 years ago New York was under the Laurentide ice sheet, a mile high.

                Not greed, mostly pumped up with their own self importance on the world stage. Humanity has the DNA of gracile apes, we shouldn’t expect too much.

                20

              • #

                el gordo Jan 28, 2018 at 8:13 pm

                Not greed, mostly pumped up with their own self importance on the world stage. Humanity has the DNA of gracile apes, we shouldn’t expect too much.

                OK! Would you kindly define the difference between ‘insane greed’ and ‘pumped up self importance’? My rifle would like to know the proper target!

                11

  • #
    el gordo

    ‘Mahindra likened the transformation to when cars were first introduced and the industry that developed around them. ”

    That’s a lie, the motor car developed organically and didn’t require subsidy.

    80

    • #
      Dennis

      Did he mention that until the 1950s businesses in Australia were still using Horse and Cart for the transportation of goods, I remember the Ice Man, the Bread Man, the Butcher and even the Broom Man arriving in the street where I lived in a city suburb.

      Maybe every third household had a motor car approximately fifty years after the Model T Ford was invented.

      Australia had good federal government and during the Menzies Coalition terms in office nation building was proudly conducted.

      It is timely to remind ourselves in Australia that we had the General Motors Holden car manufactured here from the late 1940s and by the 1960s several other motor vehicle manufacturers. Thanks to so called renewable energy, carbon tax, world’s highest electricity pricing, politicians blindly following the now UN Paris Agreement agenda, from 1975 the UN Lima Agreement for developed nations to effectively hand over manufacturing industry to developing nations, and many other nation destroying political sabotage by politicians.

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      • #
        el gordo

        The Lima Agreement is full of good intentions, but its just a coincidence that Australian manufacturing has gone offshore, its cheaper. The free market model doesn’t require government subsidies to stay afloat.

        22

    • #
      glen Michel

      I would not go anywhere near their tractors or 4WDs. Rent seeking,subsidy snouting nong

      50

  • #
    manalive

    Mahindra likened the transformation to when cars were first introduced and the industry that developed around them. Climate change will also bring new appliances, technologies and retrofitting of old ones, he said …

    There is no parallel.
    Soros said something similar back in 2008: “… energy has got to cost more until it you introduce those new things. So it will be painful …”.
    Automobiles were not invented in response to governments compulsorily killing off the horses or by making horse-drawn vehicles prohibitively expensive.
    Bell, Edison, Marconi, the Wright brothers, Ford etc., none of them as far as I know lobbied for or received government handouts they didn’t need them, consumers wanted their products and were prepared to pay for them.
    Modern equivalents would be Gates and Jobs.
    The push for wind and solar fails to acknowledge the fundamental limitations: intermittent, unreliable and un-concentrated; battery development is limited by laws of physics and chemistry.
    Moore’s Law does not apply.

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  • #
    Qanon

    Hats off to Zeman.
    Why is HRC under house arrest?
    Read EO 12/21.

    30

  • #
    TedM

    The President’s demeanour throughout the whole speech suggested a genuine humility, something we will never hear admitted by the MSM.

    151

  • #
    Extreme Hiatus

    This is new: “Climate change will also bring new appliances”

    As for Trump, barring a not-so-unthinkable Kennedy event (now very unlikely I hope), he’s going to be there for a very long time so the CAGW project is in serious trouble. What is now coming out of the huge scandal will be the end of the Obamites and will knock the Democrats out of the running in all but the most stupid states (e.g. California, New York and Massachusetts).

    The hysterical Soros speech at Davos was a good indication of how things are going.

    Here’s some developments in the scandal story.

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/01/27/obstruction-of-justice-special-agent-strzok-text-message-highlights-fbi-investigative-intent/

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/01/26/questioning-assumptions-revelations-of-key-fbi-officials-leaking-to-wapo-should-cause-review-of-underlying-media-narratives/

    And hanging over all this is this MAJOR – but almost unreported by the usual suspects – Executive Order Trump signed in late December:

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-blocking-property-persons-involved-serious-human-rights-abuse-corruption/?utm_source=twitter

    Worth noting that Trump’s Make America Great Again – MAGA – would be the same acronym for Australia too… if there were some politicians who actually wanted that to happen and could get their acts together to make it so.

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  • #
    RickWill

    Trump clearly does not play fare. While nearly all other nations have agreed to hobble their industry with punitive energy costs to build shrines to stupidity he is making it easier for business in the USA. It is quite evident that Germany is on the verge of achieving its CO2 reduction targets. German business migration to the USA is under way. Below is the business guest list for the dinner in Davos that Trump hosted:
    Business leaders

    Kasper Rorsted, Adidas (Apparel)—Germany

    Joe Kaeser, Siemens AG (Tech)—Germany

    Heinrich Hiesinger, Thyssenkrupp AG (Industrials)—Germany

    Eldar Saetre, Statoil ASA (Energy)—Norway

    Mark Schneider, Nestle SA (Food and Beverage)—Switzerland

    Vas Narasimhan, Novartis AG (Pharmaceutical)—Switzerland

    Mark Tucker, HSBC (Financial Services)—UK

    Patrick Pouyanne, Total SA (Energy)—France

    Carlos Brito, Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (Food and Beverage)—Netherlands

    Rajeev Suri, Nokia Corporation (Technology)—Finland

    Punit Renjen, Deloitte (Consulting)—UK

    Martin Lundstedt, AB Volvo (Auto)—Sweden

    Werner Baumann, Bayer AG (Pharmaceutical)—Germany

    Bill McDermott, SAP SE (Technology)—Germany

    Ulrich Spiesshofer, ABB Ltd (Manufacturing)—Switzerland

    Germany is well represented. Trump is like a hooker touting for business. He attracts attention and is not coy about what is on offer:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rLR4ipaY9M
    It is difficult to see any career politician being so at ease and commanding in this group. There appears genuine respect for him amongst this group. Did this clip get MSM attention anywhere?

    How long before USA is exporting USA made Mercedes cars to Germany!

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    • #
      Lance

      Rick: Trump is OUR Hooker/Pimp. And I’m glad of it. 🙂

      Every Nation ought be “hooking” for investment, jobs, prosperity, and security, for the benefit of their People.

      Every Nation ought to put their own interests first. If they don’t, those nations are selling their own people out.

      A Negotiation between two parties who put their own interests First is at least an Honest starting point. Neither will get everything they wish, but at least their intentions are made properly known up front.

      This is the basis of an Honest Deal. Do the very best you can do for your People.

      USA has had its “weak globalists” who put International approval and profits ahead of the interests of the people they purport to represent.

      Trump was elected to protect Americans, defend America, uphold the Laws passed by Congress, and obtain the best “deal” he can get for the benefit of Americans. I believe he is trying to do just that. Every leader of every nation ought to do the same. Equals negotiating with equals in the best interest of their own citizens.

      The previous pretender to this job failed miserably by any measure of meaning and results with respect to America.

      I’ll take a hooker/pimp any day of the week if he does a proper job of executing his/her responsibilities. Thus far, he’s done quite well in a very hostile environment and with half the populace, media, and academia, trying to destroy him since he was nominated, elected, and entered into office. Results matter. And he is delivering them.

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    • #
      ROM

      RickWill @37

      It is quite evident that Germany is on the verge of achieving its CO2 reduction targets.

      It appears you might be getting your information on Germany’s CO2 levels from one of those green and pro renewable energy press releases.

      The actual German CO2 situation is as follows and this despite installing 27,000 wind turbines in an area about a third larger than Victoria . Wind turbines which from 2020 the Germans intend to begin to cut the numbers by a minimum of 2,000 turbines.
      The UK is shutting down most of the renewable energy subsidies also by around 2020

      1 / Adjusted Upwards…German CO2 Equivalent Emissions Rise (Again) In 2016…No Reduction Since 2009!
      .

      2 / and the price for all of this CO2 reducing renewable energy that the german people are now beginning to experience.

      Unstable Green Power Grids: German ARD Television Tells Citizens To Start Getting Used To Blackouts!.
      .

      3 / New Study: German Agreed 2050 CO2 Reductions Could Cost Astronomical $2.8 TRILLION By 2050!
      .

      From memory I think Australia’s GDP is about $1.6 trillion

      From memory Germany’s population is almost exactly 4 times Australia’s population

      The per capita GDP for Germany and Australia are almost identical.

      2050 is only 30 years away , a long time ahead.
      But ask and older citizen where the last thirty years of his / her life went and you will soon see that looking at those three decades in the rearview mirror of life that the time slips past at an incredible rate.
      Besides within 30 years all those wonderful wind turbines and nearly all those solar panels will have been replaced at least once and for a higher price than today or just abandoned for others to clean up.

      I wonder what the Andrews and Weathherills and Turnbulls and Shortens of those days ahead will do for energy for Australians.
      As there won’t be any coalfired power stations left to dynamite down they might have to start on dynamiting wind turbine towers down instead,

      What a demeaning let down / come down for those future politicians No spectacular dynamiting of coal powered generators left to blow down

      And they will have to wait until the wind begins to blow so they can charge up the batteries of their EV’s so as to be able to drive to the site of the next old power generating structure, maybe the Hume dam or Blowering dam to be blown down.

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      • #

        ‘For want of a nail a kingdom was lost.’

        50

      • #
        yarpos

        I think Rick was saying they are on the verge of meeting targets as they are on the verge of an industrial migration to the US, bit like South Australia de-industrialising. Not to be taken too literally.

        50

      • #
        RickWill

        ROM
        Germany is bound to reduce its CO2 emissions. They are making great progress in hobbling their economy. CO2 output and economic activity are highly correlated. As Germany divests its productive capacity it will only be the old and in-firmed left. Those remaining will not have the finances to use much energy. Inevitably the effort to reduce CO2 output by building the shrines to stupidity will bear fruit but not in the way the proponents expect.

        All the key players were playing fair until Trump came along. He has now declared the largest economy in the world is open for business and will gladly accept all business investment available. The countries still playing “fair” will continue to wilt; albeit with increasing prospect of actually reducing CO2 output. It is a matter of priority. Is first priority reducing CO2 output or encouraging business activity and prosperity?

        40

  • #
    ROM

    Trump is the ‘Black Swan’ of both global and for American’s, their national politics.

    The impossible
    .
    No person of Trump’s demeanour, background, a property saleman with no political background and few political connections, coarse in attitude and language at times, never bothering himself very much if he ruffled and even pulled out a lot of domestic and international political feathers, no respecter of positions in politics or much anywhere else but of the persons occupying those positions, judging a man and a woman by the standards he himself had to deal with thrrough out his life as a property tycoon and all this only inside of the USA let alone dealing with the hubristic smoothness and blatant hypocrisy and bigoted arrogance of the european political classes.

    Nope!
    Nobody with even a smidgen of that sort of background ever had a hope in hell of ever becoming an American President.

    And then Trump , the purest of pure Black Swans was elected “President of the USA” aka POTUS
    ——————-
    All Swans are white.

    There had never been anything but White Swans and nobody anywhere right down through tha anals of all of history had ever known or seen Swans that were not of the purest White.

    And then the utterly unbelievable, impossible, implausable Black Swans appeared in the European Courts and scientific circles

    And all those theories and fixed in concrete for all time claims that without exception Swans were always White were destroyed forever when out of nowhere, Western Australia’s Black Swans were first shown to the world and in in Europe

    Global politics ang international political protocols as defined by dozens of generations past of political statesmen, political shylocks of the lowest kind, backroom manipulators, shady political operators, thugs, dictators, emperors and etc were fixed for all eternity.

    There was no other way as all those politicians and statesmen and dictators and emperoros and Kings and Queens had evolved a international political protocols to deal with all situations international and national.
    All the options had been tried and failed or had been adopted and everybody in international politivcs knew their status and therir place in the game of international politics and how they were expected to behave and who they it was they should suitably kowtow to for to do otherwise was to bring down nasty but hidden forces to make those politicals who stepped out of line regret their failure to conform to the protocols as set by those important ones who carried the largest backstabbing knives.

    And then came Trump, a new leader of the richest and most powerful nation on earth and the rest world was appalled and fascinated,.

    The smooth utterly hyopocritical, totally bigoted europeans were flummoxed and despairing to see all their fixed for eternity protocols overturned in minutes by the wild , unpredictable upstart American who did not know his place in that great self elelcted pantheon of self important leaders

    And now Trump is showing them for what they are and they are hating him for it..

    Just a bunch of narrow minded little men and women intent on fixing a place for themselves in history whilst their people go without power as without any consultation with the populace they destroy power stations that provided the vital electrical power so reliably. And then proceeded to spend their nations wealth on erecting a forest of unreliable , unpredictable wind tubines that will never , can never supply their people with enough energy to run their own nations.
    Their nations are over run with foriegners who have vastly different cultures to that of the european people ,foriegnerswhom those the narrow minded leaders invited in without limits , foriegners withn different cultures and ideologies over which those small minded european leadrs never gave a thought to as to the cultural impacts on their own people,.

    With 450 million citizens of the EU to draw from they can’t even fight a localised war on their own borders withiout the help of the 350 million Americans.
    They are so fixated with their own mental powers that they even circumvent their own European parliaments to bring in ever more restrictions on their citizens in speech and movement and trading and the bend in banans before they could be described as bananas, the power of van]cuum cleaners and iropns and on and on with the very pettiest thimngs of life, all carefully controlled by that same small and nattrrow minded european leadership..

    And then there is Trump , the American “Black Swan” president, the president that NOBODY ever believed in ther wildest dreams would ever be elected,
    A president who has turned everything the europeans have been doing for the last 4 decades on its head, removing thoudsands of petty regulations, reducing taxes, calling out the shitholes of this planet as to why the citizens of those shitholes are leaving for elsewhere, telling the UN to get into line on human rights or no more money from the Americans.
    Trump the Black Swan president that could not, should not have never exist but is here today and destroying the old order of politics upon which perhaps we hope a new more people orientated political system can be created within the bounds of the constitutions our far seeing fore fathers created in the centuries couple of centuries past.

    And as with Western Australia’s Black Swans , nothing in the world of Ornithology or much of the science of those times was ever to be the same again.

    So be it with our world of politics today

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  • #
    Gazman

    “This nation [the U.S.] is going to fail if it goes into the hands of a crazy guy.” Former Mexican president Vicente Fox.”
    America DID fall into the hands of a crazy guy. Thankfully, it was able to withstand the 8 years of Obama and now stands poised to return to greatness.

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  • #
    pat

    too funny. posted for the two ***pics in the comments:

    27 Jan: FreeRepublicForum: Fox News: Elitist hypocrite George Soros makes a fool of himself in Davos
    by Steve Hilton
    Liberal billionaire George Soros grabbed headlines at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday by attacking internet giants Google and Facebook. Conveniently ignoring his own investment in these companies, Soros branded them a “menace to society.” …

    Well, Soros would know about gambling: after all, he made his billions, by gambling in the casino of the financial markets. It worked out great for him, turning him into a fabulously wealthy plutocrat afforded the platform to pontificate pompously to his fellow elitists at Davos, and to indulge his personal political predilections by throwing his money at liberal causes.

    But let’s remember: it’s money he made off the backs of the poor and the working class. Soros’ gambling happens to have wrecked the lives of millions of working people, not least in the United Kingdom, where his manipulation of the currency markets in the early 1990s caused a deep recession and untold misery for millions.

    Of course, whatever the hypocrisy, many will agree with Soro’s characterization of the threat from Big Tech. But it was when he turned his attention to the Trump administration that he really went off the rails…

    ***CHECK OUT THE PICS OF TRUMP VS. SOROS IN DAVOS IN COMMENTS #11 AND #20
    http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3626663/posts

    AFR posts a pic of Soros at Davos – shows the same people at the table behind him as in the Free Republic comment, so the FR pic is from this year:

    26 Jan: AFR (Fairfax): from Bloomberg: George Soros unleashes on Trump administration in Davos speech
    PHOTO CAPTION: Soros’s predictions at last year’s conference in Davos were also gloomy and bearish on Trump, and have yet to pan out
    http://www.afr.com/news/politics/world/george-soros-unleashes-on-trump-administration-in-davos-speech-20180125-h0ol0h

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    • #
      Dennis

      I remember the Asian Economic Meltdown that Australia survived comfortably under management of PM Howard and Treasurer Costello (Liberal Coalition) but also the fury of Malaysia directed towards George Soros who manipulated their currency at the time.

      71

  • #
    Kim

    Basically you have 2 types of capitalism. On the left is Predatory Capitalism. This is typified by Soros – an arch predatory capitalist. Predatory capitalism is basically feudal – tribal. It is corrupt. It is without values and without universal and equal and equitable application of rules. It is group based – group rights – identity politics. It defrauds and steals as much money as it can. It is highly destructive. There is ‘perfection’ – it’s at a low and ever decreasing level and everything is pulled down to it.

    On the right we have Democratic Capitalism. The capitalism of The Enlightenment. And we have traditional Conservatism – that came out of The Enlightenment. Democratic Capitalism is rules based and is individual rights based. The fundamental principle of The Enlightenment is evolution. Democratic Capitalism provides the mechanism to evolve the market place – people vote with their wallets. Democratic Capitalism is positive – it is constructive – it builds. Trump is a builder – he builds businesses, he creates jobs, he builds capital value. Nothing is perfect, always getting better. High standards achieved.

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    • #
      RAH

      They call it “crony capitalism” where the government decides who the winners and losers are. For example, Elon Musk is the epitome of a crony capitalist.

      10

    • #

      On the right we have Democratic Capitalism. The capitalism of The Enlightenment. And we have traditional Conservatism – that came out of The Enlightenment. Democratic Capitalism is rules based and is individual rights based. The fundamental principle of The Enlightenment is evolution.

      I understand your distinction of the two forms, but oppose your use of the word “democratic”! There is no numerical majority rule, of falsely claimed equals! I would substitute the word “pragmatic”; or capitalism based on skill and agreement between those having needed skills for some enterprise!
      All the best!-will-

      01

  • #
    pat

    Trump’s Paris U-turn? not really. same stance he’s taken all along but, hopefully, the terms won’t be re-negotiated. fingers crossed:

    27 Jan: Daily Mail: President Trump’s Paris U-turn: I’d love to rejoin climate change accord
    French leader Emmanuel Macron said it was impossible to renegotiate the terms
    But Trump told Piers Morgan he would love to go back in if the deal is changed
    By Piers Morgan
    Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said it was impossible for any country, including the US, to now try to renegotiate the terms.

    But Trump told me he’d ‘love’ to go back in, if the deal can be renegotiated. ‘For you, is it about the science or about the money?’ I asked. ‘I think it’s about everything,’ Trump replied. ‘I’m a believer in clean air and clean water. The Paris Accord, for us, would have been a disaster.’

    ‘Are you completely out of that?’
    ***‘I’m completely out of it.’

    ‘No way back?’
    ‘It could be a way back. First of all, it was a terrible deal for the United States. If they made a good deal, there’s always a chance we’d get back. But it was a terrible deal for the United States. It was unfair to the United States.’
    ‘Do you believe in climate change? Do you think it exists?’
    ‘There is a cooling and there’s a heating. I mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming. That wasn’t working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place.

    ‘The icecaps were going to melt, there were going to be gone by now, but now they’re setting records, OK? They’re at a record level. I’ll tell you what I believe in. I believe in clean air. I believe in crystal-clear, beautiful water. I believe in just having good cleanliness in all.

    ‘Now, with that being said, if somebody said go back into the Paris Accord, it would have to be a completely different deal because we had a horrible deal. As usual, they took advantage of the United States. We were in a terrible deal.

    ‘Would I go back in? Yeah, I’d go back in. I like… as you know I like Emmanuel [Macron]. I would love to, but it’s got to be a good deal for the United States.’
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5320757/Trump-Id-love-rejoin-Paris-climate-change-accord.html

    97% accept it:

    27 Jan: UK Independent: Donald Trump appears to misunderstand basic facts of climate change in Piers Morgan interview
    by Josh Gabbatiss
    Mr Trump also repeated previous statements that he could “go back” into the Paris climate agreement, but said that he would only make such a decision if he could get “a good deal” for the US…

    “There is a cooling, and there’s a heating. I mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming. That wasn’t working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place,” he said.
    Global warming and climate change are often used interchangeably, but in fact refer to slightly different things. The two are not mutually exclusive.
    While global warming refers only to the Earth’s rising surface temperature, climate change is a broader term that includes the other effects of carbon pollution, such as changing weather patterns…

    There have been several studies gauging the consensus among climate scientists on human-caused global warming, with 97 per cent emerging as an accurate estimate of the proportion who accept it…READ ON

    President Trump – The Piers Morgan Interview was set to air on ITV at 10pm on Sunday.
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-misunderstands-basic-facts-climate-change-piers-morgan-interview-a8181381.html

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    • #
      pat

      btw Piers Morgan interviewed President Trump at Davos.

      10

    • #
      Dennis

      Trump is right, again.

      40

    • #

      Trump’s Paris U-turn? not really. same stance he’s taken all along but, hopefully, the terms won’t be re-negotiated. fingers crossed:

      As much as I hate the misused term “going forward”; Seems P45 remembers history; but now has learned from the admirable sleek sea killers that must ‘go forward’! No U-turn ever; as all past is but waste! Wiggling sideways works well! 🙂
      All the best!-will-

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  • #
    Mark M

    It’s like an analogy for the US2016 election …

    … this is the funniest thing that will happen at a sporting event this year (or next)!

    https://twitter.com/iamjoonlee/status/873385285140307968

    Thank you, President Donald Trump.

    30

  • #
    pat

    talk about sensationalism!

    28 Jan: UK Express: Donald Trump declares HUGE U-TURN on US involvement in Paris climate change deal
    IN A SHOCK announcement, US President Donald Trump has revealed he may once again sign the US up to the Paris Accord climate change agreement, Piers Morgan has revealed on Twitter.
    By Sam Sholli
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/910924/brexit-european-union-eu-conservative-party-theresa-may-phillip-hammond-uk-cabinet

    20

  • #
    robert rosicka

    OT but prices for electricity are through the roof again in the failed communist states of Victoriastan and SA .

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  • #
    pat

    does the MSM not follow the news? mind you, who would blame them if they didn’t. perhaps they just have short memories!

    11 Jan: BBC: Climate change: Trump says US ‘could conceivably’ rejoin Paris deal
    President Donald Trump has said the US could “conceivably” return to the 2015 Paris climate accord if an agreement treated America more fairly.
    He said it “was a bad deal for the US”, repeating comments made when he announced the US withdrawal last June.
    But he said he had no problem with the accord itself…

    What did Mr Trump say about America’s possible return?
    “It’s an agreement that I have no problem with but I had a problem with the agreement that they (the Obama administration) signed because, as usual, they made a bad deal,” he told reporters.
    “So we could conceivably go back in.

    Mr Trump stressed his administration’s commitment to environmental issues, “clean water, clean air”, but added “we also want businesses that can compete”.
    “The Paris accord really would have taken away our competitive edge, and we’re not going to let that happen,” he said…

    When he announced last June he was pulling the US out of the accord, Mr Trump said he wanted to negotiate a new “fair” deal that would not disadvantage US businesses and workers.
    He also said during the presidential election campaign that he wanted to help US oil and coal industries…

    It was not clear from his comments on Wednesday whether he has embarked on any attempt to renegotiate America’s terms…
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42642331

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    pat

    didn’t take Seth & co long – guess all those CAGW “climate scientists” are on speed dial:

    27 Jan: ABC America: AP FACT CHECK: Data melt Trump’s cooling, ice claims
    by Seth Borenstein, AP science writer; Associated Press writer Gregory Katz in London contributed to this report

    In an interview with Piers Morgan airing Sunday on Britain’s ITV News, the president said the world was cooling and warming at the same time and that claims of melting ice caps haven’t come true…

    Ten different climate scientists contacted by The Associated Press said the president was not accurate about climate change. Rutgers University climate scientist Jennifer Francis responded in an email: “Clearly President Trump is relying on alternative facts to inform his views on climate change. Ice on the ocean and on land are both disappearing rapidly, and we know why: increasing greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels that trap more heat and melt the ice. ”

    THE FACTS: The world hasn’t had a cooler than average year since 1976 and hasn’t had a cooler than normal month since the end of 1985, according to more than 135 years of temperature records kept by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    The last four years have been the four hottest years on record globally, with 2010 the fifth hottest year, according to NOAA. Every year in the 21st century has been at least three quarters of a degree (0.4 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average and in the top 25 hottest years on record, NOAA records show.
    And while a good chunk of the United States had a frigid snap recently, most of the rest of the world was far warmer than normal, according to temperature records.

    Zeke Hausfather of the Berkeley Earth temperature monitoring program — initially funded by non-scientists who doubt that the world is warming — said in an email: “The world has been warming steadily over the past 50 years, with 17 of the past 18 years being the warmest since records began in the 1850s. It is not accurate to say that the climate has been ‘cooling as well as warming’.”…

    While a small number of experts a decade ago had predicted that Arctic would be free of summer sea ice by now, most mainstream scientists and the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change did not, instead they said Arctic sea ice would shrink, which it has, said Pennsylvania State University ice scientist Richard Alley…

    Princeton University climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer said the Antarctic sea ice pack, less directly influenced by global climate change, varies from year to year…
    http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-fact-check-data-melts-trumps-cooling-ice-52657290

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    • #
      Extreme Hiatus

      “the Berkeley Earth temperature monitoring program — initially funded by non-scientists who doubt that the world is warming”

      This is a BS cover story to attempt to give this thing they are doing some faux objectivity. Thus you see it in this fake news story.

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      • #
        AndyG55

        Zeke et al make sure that Burke-lee’s matches their “regional expectations™”

        Methodology differs, but their mal-adjustments are probably even worse than BOM’s positive trend homogenisation.

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  • #
    michael hart

    I’m having a lot of trouble trying to find a report of the Trump speech on the BBC website.
    Usually they are quite quick with reports about what Trump has said or tweeted. Perhaps they will enlighten me in a week, or two. Maybe it is buried, five levels down.

    Or, perhaps I should ask the aliens what the BBC will do. Whatever. I don’t think people should be forced to pay for a state broadcaster anymore. How many Australians think the same way?

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  • #
    Lance

    Davos. Yes, “Everybody Knows”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaJAxdGeZ4E

    Trump just changed the odds on that, at least for personally responsible Americans.

    The Future is what you make of what you have. Not perfect, not guaranteed.

    Winners try as best they may. Losers blame everyone but themselves.

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    • #

      Trump just changed the odds on that, at least for personally responsible Americans. /blockquote>
      Indeed! Carefully developing own skills at what you love to do, practice, practice, practice can result in a skilled practitioner, like no other! Consider P45; he is skilled at “SELLING” like no other! Take no prisoners!!

      21

  • #
    Old44

    How can Trump be considered a great speaker when he doesn’t use a teleprompter?

    50

  • #

    #1.4.1.1 is in Monseration, grinn! Sorry AZ!

    21

  • #

    This is a wonderful blog but you left the best (idiotic) comment on the Trump presidency. Paul Krugman is a Nobel laureate and a syndicated columnist so he is someone to be taken seriously. On November 9, 2017 Krugman “claimed that the economy would never recover.”
    https://hellogiggles.com/news/paul-krugman-big-winner-trumps-fake-news-awards/

    Krugman won’t “Fess Up” about his idiocy and has compounded his stupidity by trashing Trump’s tax reform:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3sAfBNiGYo

    You have to admire over educated idiots like Krugman who will still be spouting the same BS when Donald Trump wins at least 50 states in 2020.

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    • #
      Another Ian

      GC

      Remember that in economics the questions are the same but the answers are different.

      He’s likely hoping that his next punt catches favourable winds

      20

  • #
    Ian1946

    O/T but the diesels are running SA. Both the Communist states are over $5000 per Mega Watt Hr

    100

  • #
    RAH

    I honestly think that we are on the verge of an even greater change in the US. The evidence of corruption in Washington is becoming overwhelming. Every week now more evidence is revealed indicating that the Obama administration used the DOJ, FBI, NSA, etc to try and fix the election so that Hillary would win. The real collusion was between those agencies and the WH, using Russian sources of misinformation to sway the outcome of the presidential election. The swamp creatures have done their best to prevent that fact from being revealed but the pressure appears to be too much for them. They are like the little Dutch boy using his fingers and toes to plug the leaks in the dike and it appears they are fast running out of digits. The next two weeks will be very interesting.

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  • #
    RAH

    Something that needs to be understood.
    The invitation of the POTUS to the rest to come along and join the economic renewal based on capitalist principles, was not just an invitation. It was a warning. He was really saying, get your ducks and order and come along or suffer the consequences and be left behind at your own peril. The more I hear this president the more it becomes obvious that his mastery at making deals has also made him a master of understanding how to use the iron fist of power encased in the velvet glove of diplomacy.

    It remains to be seen if the leadership of Australia, the EU, and many other countries will come to understand that.

    The POTUS could not have made it clearer that priority number 1 is the growth of the US economy and that a necessary prerequisite for that is energy independence. And yet we see the press all excited thinking that he would enter into some kind of agreement on the Paris Accord. Does anyone really believe, after listening to his address that this president would agree to anything that would be detrimental to economic growth of the US? Any real concession to the terms of the Paris accord would do just that! How stupid or delusional are these cretins in the press? Their lack of understanding just amazing.

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    • #
      R2Dtoo

      Hi RAH: The Davos crowd and associated government lackies, the filthy rich and NGOs have no idea how Trump plays their game. This is poker, folks. Everyone is dealt a hand. Trump has the biggest economy in the world and the best chip pile. That’s a pair of aces in the hold. He can bet as if he is bluffing or has a winner. Each hand will keep them guessing, and they have a lot to gain or lose depending on how they read him. He is a good poker player. What a lot of the others haven’t realized is that he is playing for the American people – those are his aces. Most of the rest are globalists who are playing for themselves to remain in the elite, or for some “ideology”. The stakes are high and some folks will be leaving the table quickly.

      20

    • #
      Rupert Ashford

      RAH, you mentioned “their lack of understanding”. I’d include the political leadership you mentioned in your “their” and therefore we can conclude “they” will not learn before it is too late and Australia will be part of that delayed learning process with terrible consequences, especially if the GSM and associated cooling kicks in as more and more scientists start openly advocating.

      20

  • #
    pat

    27 Jan: Reuters: UPDATE 2-China’s 2017 coal imports from Russia surge after N.Korea ban – customs
    by Muyu Xu and Josephine Mason
    China’s coal imports from Russia and Mongolia soared in 2017, customs data showed on Thursday, as the two countries filled a supply gap caused by trade sanctions on North Korea.
    Arrivals from Russia COA-RUCN-IMP in 2017 surged 36.3 percent from 2016 to 25.3 million tonnes, data from the General Administration of Customs showed, with December figures at 2.14 million tonnes, up 16.2 percent from a year ago and 11.5 percent from November.

    Imports from Mongolia COA-MNCN-IMP rose to 33.58 million tonnes in 2017, up 27.6 percent from 2016, while December’s imports came in at 2.83 million tonnes, down 18.6 percent from a year ago but up 2.5 percent from November…
    “The majority of market share left by North Korea was grabbed by Russia, as mining costs in Russia are cheaper than in China’s northeastern region,” said Cheng Gong, an analyst at the China National Coal Association.

    In 2017, Australia was China’s largest coal supplier for a sixth year in a row, bolstered by increasing demand for high-grade supplies due to Beijing’s crackdown on air pollution.
    Coal imports from Australia COA-AUCN-IMP rose 13.4 percent from 2016 to 79.91 million tonnes. In December, China bought 8.07 million tonnes of Australian coal, up 19.4 percent from a year ago…

    In late November, Beijing eased some restrictions on coal imports to ensure stable coal supplies during the peak winter heating season.

    Data released earlier this month showed China’s total December coal imports rose 3 percent from November to 22.74 million tonnes.

    Vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts suggest China in January will import around 20.9 million tonnes of seaborne coal, both thermal and coking, up from 17.2 million in December and 19.1 million in November.
    https://uk.reuters.com/article/china-economy-trade-coal/update-2-chinas-2017-coal-imports-from-russia-surge-after-n-korea-ban-customs-idUKL4N1PK2JM

    27 Jan: CarbonPulse: China’s energy-related emissions resumed growth in 2017 on coal resurgence -analysts
    After two years of declines, China’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions likely resumed their upward trajectory in 2017, rising by between 2.2% and 4.1% thanks to a jump in energy demand, according to analyst estimates.

    10

  • #
    pat

    26 Jan: CarbonBrief: State of the climate: how the world warmed in 2017
    by Zeke Hausfather
    In this article, Carbon Brief explains why last year proved to be so remarkable across the oceans, atmosphere, cryosphere and surface temperature of the planet…

    •It was the warmest year on record for ocean heat content, which increased markedly between 2016 and 2017.
    •It was the second or third warmest year on record for surface temperature – depending on the dataset used – and the warmest year without the influence of an El Niño event.
    •It saw record lows in sea ice extent and volume in the Arctic both at the beginning and end of the year, though the minimum extent reached in September was only the eighth lowest on record.
    •It also saw record-low Antarctic sea ice for much of the year, though scientists are still working to determine the role of human activity in the region’s sea ice changes…READ ON
    https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-how-the-world-warmed-in-2017

    11

  • #
    pat

    behind paywall:

    26 Jan: NYT: China’s Emissions: More Than U.S. Plus Europe, and Still Rising
    Keith Bradsher reported from Davos, and Lisa Friedman from Washington. Ailin Tang contributed research
    A version of this article appears in print on January 26, 2018, on Page A11 of the New York edition with the headline: ***(DAVOS) Forum Lauds Climate Efforts by China Even as Its Emissions Climb.
    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/25/business/china-davos-climate-change.html

    25 Jan: Reuters: RPT-COLUMN-China crude demand growth tilts fuel market to zero-sum game
    by Clyde Russell
    Launceston, Australia — One of the assumptions most observers of the crude oil market make is that China will continue to be the engine of global demand growth, thereby providing underlying support to prices.
    It’s not an unreasonable assumption, given the world’s largest importer brought in 8.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2017, 10.1 percent more than the prior year, according to customs figures.
    The extra 800,000 bpd China imported in 2017 was about half of total global demand growth…

    China will import 452 million tonnes, equivalent to 9 million bpd, in 2018, a gain of 7.7 percent from last year, state-owned major China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said in its annual outlook released earlier this month…
    That would be an increase of about 600,000 bpd in imports from 2017, a slower growth rate than what was achieved in 2017 but still a significant pull on global demand for crude…

    However, CNPC also forecast that China’s refined product shipments would surge in 2018, with net diesel exports expected to jump 47 percent to 23.8 million tonnes, or about 509,000 bpd…
    Net exports of gasoline were forecast to increase 23 percent to about 12.8 million tonnes, or about 298,000 bpd…
    https://www.reuters.com/article/column-russell-crude-china/rpt-column-china-crude-demand-growth-tilts-fuel-market-to-zero-sum-game-russell-idUSL4N1PK2FM

    23 Jan: OilPrice: China Is World’s Number-2 In LNG Imports
    By Irina Slav
    China has overtaken South Korea as the world’s second-largest importer of LNG, buying 38.1 million tons of the fuel in 2017, compared with 37.6 million tons for South Korea. The number-one importer of LNG is still Japan. This was a 46-percent annual increase in LNG shipments to China…

    In December alone, China imported 5.03 million tons of LNG, customs data showed today, beating its November record of 4.06 million tons by 24 percent. The figure was also 35 percent higher than that for December 2016.
    Total gas imports hit an all-time high of 7.89 million tons in that month, beating the previous record, booked in November, by 20 percent…
    https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/China-Is-Worlds-Number-2-In-LNG-Imports.html

    10

  • #
    Old44

    Just been reading the Washington Post and the NYT, Not one mention of his speech at Davos, not one mention of him being in Davos,, not one mention of a mèeting in Davos.
    Total and absolute corruption of the “free” press.

    30

  • #
    Speedy

    The power of self-interest is undeniable. It makes capitalism work, and, if obstructed, makes totalitarianism fail. Always does. Any questions?

    Cheers,

    Mike Miller (aka Speedy.)

    30

    • #
      Lionell Griffith

      Part of the problem is that self interest has been redefined as doing and taking by force whatever you whim without consideration for either the short or long term consequences. The redefinition has made it next to impossible to consider what is in fact in your best long term self interest. It even makes it impossible to consider that you must have a self and take good care of it before you can possibly “do good” for others.

      Sadly, the side effect of the redefinition and its primary purpose is to morph the notion of good to self sacrifice to the exclusion of anything for self. Since you cannot achieve this and stay alive,T. you accept unearned guilt. A guilt that makes you vulnerable to any claim that you are not doing enough for others. You then go along with whatever sacrificial pogrom the so called progressive elite have put forth. All the while knowing that you cannot live and meet the requirement and thus assume even more unearned guilt. THIS is the stuff of the destruction of civilization.

      You are not morally guilty for wanting to live and thrive. It is your life, and the life of each individual that is the source and standard of the good. This moral principle requires that you do the following:

      1. Live and let live.
      2. Associate and interact only with the willing.
      3. Be the source that creates the values necessary for YOUR life.
      4. Trade the values you create for values others create for mutual benefit.
      5. Understand that you are your own purpose as well as each other individual is his own purpose.
      6. Understand that all natural rights issue from the fact that you are alive and have reality based requirements for maintaining that life. This requires that you be free to follow your own purpose and that you respect the same freedom for others.

      The bottom line is that the so called collective has no existence except as an aggregation of individuals. As a consequence, the so called collective has no rights. Said rights are held and are to be exercised by only its individual members. The Government is one such collective. As such, the only valid function of a Government is to protect the rights of its individual citizens and to prosecute any violation of those rights.

      30

  • #
    Rupert Ashford

    Of course the Mahindra dude will spruik the “Climastrology” industry and it’s opportunities. Currently everything India and China are reaping only huge benefits out of the IPCC and UN thing and not contributing anything so he just sees $$ rolling in to India.

    20

  • #
    Qanon

    Where on Earth is Assange????
    Not in London.
    He does like Toblerone.

    00

  • #
    Qanon

    The Calm before the storm.
    Stormy weather ahead.
    Fisa memo, Wikileaks, Fisa Court.

    00

  • #
    Roy Hogue

    I learned a long time ago after numerous mistakes that I should watch what people do and then watch the result of what they do. Then I know how to make a judgment about them.

    In the case of Donald Trump, if you let yourself be distracted by what he says you’ll miss the beauty of the man’s presidency. When all there was to judge by was what he said I wondered if he was even serious about being president and I preached against him at every opportunity. I voted for him only because he was not Hillary.

    Then he was elected though I thought he had no chance at all. And he started doing the things he promised the voters he would do. And he had been speaking about our real problems all along but dumb old me thought he would never get along with congress or other nations and was just another noisy mouth…worth nothing. And there’s still a problem there but he’ll get through it. And look at him now.

    For the first time in a long time my portfolio is up 15% at the end of last year. And no matter what Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi or that fool Kennedy with his red hair who will do the usual rebuttal after the State of the Union Address tomorrow can say to twist the truth, that prosperity is good for everyone.

    By the way, I’m not rich. I’m also probably going lose a tax deduction that will be money I could use for better things than to give it to the government. But I’ll take Trump any day.

    Davos is just gravy on the mashed potatoes. 🙂

    Mueller is the big problem. He’s being paid to find a way to dump Trump out of office and he’s accountable to no one, has all the time and money he wants to spend and he’ll go on unchecked until someone finally has the nerve to pull out his plug or he succeeds in his Democrat’s quest to ruin the first real president in a long time.

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      Roy Hogue

      Right next to the text of Trump’s speech I noticed this question.

      Can Joe Kennedy Beat the State of the Union Curse?

      No! He can’t upstage Trump even with his red hair. He can’t do it even if he sets that hair on fire. The only Kennedy who knew anything worthwhile was JFK and he missed being a someone by a mile except to those who pay attention to the words instead of the accomplishments.

      Unfortunately the name Kennedy will carry unmerited weight so, he’ll have something behind him, at least until people realize the difference between nonsense and gold.

      The article saying otherwise looks like a hatchet job on Trump.

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        Rereke Whakaaro

        From my experience and observation, the Democrats treat elections as warfare.

        In terms of logistics, and getting the right people, in the right place, at the right time, and armed with the right arguments, that is probably a useful analogy.

        But as anybody who has been in conflict knows, the battle plan only lasts for a few minutes in the face of the enemy, so you also need to have another plan to withdraw with grace, whilst protecting your people from being shot up the bum.

        Obama and the Clinton’s did not have such a plan, and went directly to meltdown, followed by blame apportionment. As a consequence, they have done considerable damage to the Democrat brand. I say this as an independent observer.

        The more they focus on how unfairly they have been treated, and how unfair the Republicans are, and how Trump is unfairly eating their lunch, then the less credibility they will retain.

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          I would say, Rereke, that
          that’s a fair summation -)
          of the logic of the situation.

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          Roy Hogue

          RW, you are correct. And I’m not sure Trump has a good battle plan and I’m positive that the Republicans as a whole don’t have one.

          So what to do? Well, I take what I can when I can get it.

          Give me the Mattisses of politics any day. And where are they? MIA.

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            RW, you are correct. And I’m not sure Trump has a good battle plan and I’m positive the Republicans as a whole don’t have one.

            Count on Gen. Mattis to have plan for every occasion plus required loyal troops to carry out such plan. Kim Jong NK remains short, fat, ugly, and un-laid! 🙂

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              Roy Hogue

              Dear Un-leader and the U.S. will probably come to blows at some point. Or he will finally settle down and realize Trump is deadly serious when the talks about destruction falling down on NK. Personally I think the former is more likely and I wish Trump would go ahead and do something conclusive and end Mr. Un’s reign of error. We’ll take our lumps in any case and it will be easier if done sooner than later.

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                Dear Un-leader and the U.S. will probably come to blows at some point. Or he will finally settle down and realize Trump is deadly serious when the talks about destruction falling down on NK.

                Perhaps! Un-leader of the un-place, only making cheaper fall apart tennis shoes; has lost the favor of China’s zentral committee. The zentrals are aghast at the concept of NORKS invading China!! 🙂

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      Roy
      Consider this.
      Bob Mueller has a white hat. While everyone thinks he is investigating the phony “Russian collusion”, he is actually investigating Uranium One, the phony dossier, and the Clinton Foundation. It’s a cunning DJT maneuver. I hope I’m not wrong.
      You can expect all Hell to break loose next week when they release the 4 page House Intelligence Committee memo. There is enough in that 400 page FISA court report to put a few dozen behind bars. Remember what the man said. You’ll get tired of winning.

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        Roy Hogue

        Rod,

        From where I sit I think Mueller is looking for someone to flip on trump with a promise of leniency or immunity.

        Consider: He’s a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat and linked to the Clintons through extended family. He has no accountability to anyone except the Attorney General and the president and their only measure against him is to fire him which everyone believes in untenable if not downright fatal. He can spend as much as he wants to and keep going for as long as he wants to and he’s being paid to find something to hang President Trump with. And we’ve all seen what that leads to, the climate change monster that won’t die.

        I was here for several previous special prosecutors and I saw what happened. They are an abomination to our system of laws and courts.

        The House intelligence committee memo may have something useful in it but it will be swept under the rug if Democrats can get their way. I have yet to see any shred of evidence against the president re. collusion with Russia to fix the election. But that hasn’t stopped anyone from assuming this hateful man in the White House is guilty of nearly every kind of low-down behavior you can think of.

        I’ve never liked special prosecutors. As I said, they have free rein to go anywhere, investigate anyone and spend as much time and money as they want to. Something is intrinsically wrong with that.

        I hope you’re right just on principle. But…

        BTW, Were I Jeff Sessions I wold fire him come whatever. Wither he’s the Attorney General and he doesn’t let loose cannons go marching through the justice system or he’s not and he should resign. But the real problem is that Trump has so many people out to get him that he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

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          Beyond any doubt you know your country’s history better than I.
          Nevertheless, these are interesting times.
          The POTUS is very cunning, and as you point out, Bob Mueller has ties to the Clinton extended family.
          My what big teeth you have, Mr. Wolf. All the better to eat you with.
          That, as well as the freedom of a special prosecutor to investigate EVERYTHING, leads me to think that the entire collusion “investigation” has been a smoke screen for investigation into the activities of the Clinton Foundation, the FBI, and the DOJ, and the entire Old Bummer administration.
          Call me superstitious, but Wednesday brings a BLUE BLOOD Supermoon.
          The storm is about to begin, as will be revealed in the SOTUS.

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            Roy Hogue

            Interesting times indeed. And that reminds me of an old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”

            Frankly I would rather our times be a little less interesting. But at least up to now we can say, so far, so good.

            Tuesday, Wednesday in Oz, will be interesting but I don’t think many minds will be changed. Reformers like Donald Trump rock too many boats.

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          I hope you’re right just on principle. But… BTW, Were I Jeff Sessions I wold fire him come whatever.

          A SLOW, sllooww process. For this new Constitutional republic with most clever Electoral College to possibly work is to anticipate the Enemy; each and every possible enemy; including CHINA!
          Stupid congress passes stupid laws, ’cause that’s fun’! Not so stupid administration, tries to administer such stupid laws best it can! SCOUTUS, best they can, declare stupid laws unconstitutional! If you were dessert rat, wombat, Fox, meerkat, or any sensible folk would you go anywhere near such an unbelievable mess? NOW WHAT?
          All the best!-will-

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            Roy Hogue

            I don’t remember who said it but, Will, the course of any society is always downhill. Rome lasted 800 years as a recognizable entity. I wonder how long the United States of America will last. I already don’t recognize it as the country I was born into and grew up in.

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              I don’t remember who said it but, Will, the course of any society is always downhill. Rome lasted 800 years as a recognizable entity. I wonder how long the United States of America will last. I already don’t recognize it as the country I was born into and grew up in.

              I agree 100% about ‘society’, each and every earthling formed society! Earthlings remain but some very reduced “Image of GOD”! We try and we fail! Some; through “SCIENCE” learn a wee bit! We have learned via the R.CLAUSIUS 2LTD “Stuff spontaneously goes downhill; including ‘society’!”!
              So what is at the the lower hill? Only low temperature powerless Fe56 or ‘The Oliver K. Manuel former NASA Principal Investigator for Apollo; “Power beyond your imagination E= mc²/2″‘?
              All the best!-will-

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        Bob Mueller has a white hat. While everyone thinks he is investigating the phony “Russian collusion”, he is actually investigating Uranium One, the phony dossier, and the Clinton Foundation.

        Robert Mueller has assembled a team excellent for taking down the world corrupt ‘financial’ interests. Mueller is not involved in the ‘hats’ game; instead, has experience and recognizes his own position, vs that of P45, J.Sessions, C.Wray, R.Tillerson, Lt Gen. M.Flynn, and few enlightened congress folk, with full command over his position! Will SCOTUS be involved?
        May you live in interesting times!-will-

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    First of all,
    Trump read a speech
    that someone else wrote for him.

    Any politician can read a speech.

    Most better than Trump.

    Judge a politician by what he does.

    Not what he says.

    So far Trump, Scott Pruitt, and others,
    have not said one word about the
    junk science that passes for climate science
    these days.
    .
    If the fraud of an imaginary coming
    runaway global warming crisis is NEVER
    addressed, then how can the fairy tale
    ever end?

    Trump and Pruitt either are cowards,
    or scoundrels, for not trying to refute
    the false science !

    Pulling “out” of the Paris Accords
    only for economic reasons is sensible,
    but not one mention of the fake science
    — even by Trump,
    who seems to have no fear?.
    .
    I still can’t believe that @#$&% Obama
    voluntarily squandered $1 billion to that
    green slush fund !
    .
    .
    .
    Concerning the alleged +2.4 million new jobs.

    I checked the data for the Household Survey,
    based on actual phone calls to real people,
    which includes about 7 million self employed,
    not counted in the much more commonly
    reported Establishment Survey, and here are
    the numbers:
    .
    .
    .
    December 2015 = 150,135,000 employed
    .
    December 2016 = 152,233,000 employed,
    That’s up +1.4% from Dec. 2015
    — the credit goes to Obama, I suppose.
    .
    .
    .
    .
    December 2016 = 152,233,000 employed
    .
    December 2017 = 154,021,000 employed,
    That’s up +1.2% from Dec. 2016
    — the credit goes to Trump, I suppose.
    .
    .
    .
    In summary, total employment,
    from the Household Survey,
    increased more in Obama’s last year:
    ( +1.4% )
    than in Trump’s first year:
    ( +1.2% )
    .
    .
    .
    Concerning real GDP growth:
    (preliminary rough data for 4Q 2017)
    4Q 2016 = $16,851,400,000
    4Q 2017 = $17,272,500,000

    Growth “for Trump”
    from 4Q 2016 to 4Q 2017 = 2.5%
    .
    Growth for Obama in the years
    after the 2007 recession ended
    (2Q 2009) all the way
    to the end of 2016
    = 2.2% average
    .
    .
    .
    Obama’s 2.2% average was the worst
    rebound from a recession since
    the Great Depression in the 1930s.
    .
    .
    Now please tell me how Trump’s +2.5%
    is OH SO MUCH BETTER THAN +2.2% ?
    .
    .
    .
    So let’s not get carried away
    with fake / exaggerated statistics.
    .
    .
    Trump is a master salesman
    who can BS as well as anyone.
    .
    .
    Let’s judge him by results,
    not talk and exaggerations.
    .
    .
    Talk is cheap.
    .
    .
    And let’s not compare Trump ONLY
    with Obama, who gave us an
    average of +1.5% growth in his eight
    years — so low it is still hard to believe!
    .
    And let’s not compare Trump with Hillary,
    the world class liar, with a horrible husband,
    milking his fake charity “slush fund”
    (that should not have been tax free)
    for up to $200 million
    from 2000 through 2017
    for short speeches to people
    who donated
    … thinking Hillary would be
    president someday,
    and their “donations”
    would get them
    attention and favors!

    Compare Trump to a good president,
    like Reagan or Eisenhower,
    not a loser like Obama,
    or a liar like Hillary,
    and let’s hope he compares well …
    but it is too soon to start the
    cheerleading, and cheering.
    .
    Three free, no ads,
    no money for me,
    blogs of mine:
    .
    Economics:
    http://www.EL2017.Blogspot.com
    .
    Politics:
    http://www.ElectionCircus.Blogspot.com
    .
    Climate Change:
    http://www.elOnionBloggle.Blogspot.com
    .
    Not as good as JoNova.com, of course,
    and no pretty girl on the home page,
    but give them a try anyway.

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      Compare Trump to a good president, like Reagan or Eisenhower, not a loser like Obama, or a liar like Hillary,and let’s hope he compares well …
      but it is too soon to start the cheerleading, and cheering.

      But you Richard Greene
      January 31, 2018 at 10:35 am; remain a poorly informed communistic dupe! What evidence have you for your asinine spouting? 🙂

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